


Shorties

by silvermyth



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Ballet AU, Black Friday, Bonfires, Canon Universe, Cat Burglars, Cowboy Hats, Crossdressing, Crossroads Deals & Demons, Cyborgs, Domestic, Drabbles, F/F, F/M, Fireworks, First Time, Fluff, Guy Fawkes Night, Halloween, Hangover, Kink, Light Bondage, M/M, Mafia AU, Multi, Other, Platonic Relationships, Some Humor, Some angst, Some death, Street Harassment, Supernatural - Freeform, Thanksgiving, Wordcount: 100-500, Wordcount: 500-1.000, cyborg AU, halloween fic, keyblade boyfriends, merfolk, november 5, rarepairs, rope, short fic, spooky scary skeletons - Freeform, sure why not, take your pick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-04-29 07:19:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 62
Words: 43,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5119832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silvermyth/pseuds/silvermyth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles (for real, they're all going to be less than 1k!) for Kingdom Hearts...or whatever.  Round one: a Halloween-themed SoRiku fic!  Including: Kairi as a keyblade-wielder, platonic sea salt trio, AkuRoku, SoRiku merfic, ugly holiday sweaters, and more!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spooky Scary Skeletons

**Author's Note:**

> Ratings range from G to T mostly, with a couple that push more towards the M end of the spectrum (and are labeled as such in the beginning notes).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween-themed SoRiku  
> Rating: T

Riku glared at the shorter brunette practically skipping in front of him.

"We've gotta find something that would make Jack proud!" Sora chirped, turning into the seasonal aisle. That wasn't what bothered Riku. He was more than happy to help Sora decorate the front of the little house they'd shared since returning to Destiny Island, and yeah, he agreed, they would have to make it scary enough to impress even the Pumpkin King. It was why he'd agreed to help pick the decorations out in the first place.

A display of animated skulls erupted into song, one after another. _"Spooky scary skeletons!"_ Sora's voice was quick to accompany the chorus. Loudly, and off-key.

Riku ground his teeth in irritation, then stopped and took a breath. "Sora…"

Sora spun on his heel, still bouncing in a collected dance. "Riiiikuuuu?"

" _Must_ you do this _every time we go to the store?_ "

Sora's mouth stretched into a radiant, blinding, innocent grin. Riku felt his anger wilt a little, until Sora shoved a selection of decorations into his arms. His mouth turned down into a scowl. "Do what?"

Riku levelled a dark look at his boyfriend. " _Do what,_ he says. Press every single noise button in the store, that's what!" Riku huffed.

"Aw, c'mon Riku! It's fun!" Riku swore that Sora's smile hadn't been _sparkling_ before. He really did like Sora's smile, and he felt his lips twitch up, trying to creep into their own smile, but he resolved himself to at least reprimand Sora before he gave in.

"It's just so embarrassing," he muttered. "I feel like I'm babysitting a child."

Sora's grin changed, the brightness fading into something darker: a lopsided smile full of intent. "Well, if that's the case…" He wrapped his arms around Riku decorations and all, "I hope you don't send me to bed without dessert." He beamed up and winked.

Riku felt his cheeks flush at the intent behind the words. "Dessert…"

Sora hummed merrily before placing a small kiss on his cheek and retreating, cheerfully resuming his task of choosing Halloween decorations. Riku just stood there, trying not to drop the ones already in his arms. The display of skulls had stopped singing, he realized, just before Sora's finger raced to press all the buttons again.

This time Riku couldn't help but smile as Sora wiggled his butt in time to the catchy Halloween tune, sending a wink his way.


	2. Bruises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kairi-centric  
> Rating: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Bruises  
> Promter: Roksva

The bad ones were still black and blue, but the old ones were fading to sickly yellow and green. There were more old bruises than new ones, and that made Kairi smile. She was improving.

She hadn’t gotten many bruises at first, when they’d all discovered that she, too, could wield a keyblade, but Kairi had quickly realized that the boys were going easy on her, and a lecture saw the end of that.

“I want to protect those I care for, too!” That had earned their respect. There had never been any doubt that her heart was strong, only fear that the boys would hurt her.

But they were just bruises, and she wore them like badges of honor. She was far from having the skills to match Riku or Sora in a real battle, but she could fight.

She could fight, and she’d given out a few bruises of her own to prove it, this time.


	3. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SoRiku mer-fic; _continued in chapter 11, Under the Sea_  
>  Rating: G

Riku wiped an arm across his brow, catching the sweat there before it dripped into his eyes, and sweeping stray strands of hair with it. It was a hot day, made even hotter by the cloudless sky, and the sun reflecting off of the ocean. It had still been dark when he and his small crew had set out for the day, but barely cooler, even in those quiet hours. It was a fishing expedition, more for fun, than anything, and Riku was more or less enjoying himself. They'd caught a few in the earlier hours, but as the day wore on, the fish dove deeper to escape the sun, and Riku and his friends had turned their attentions to sunbathing and relaxing in the lull.

Riku was starting to think that the fish had the right idea, avoiding the hottest hours of the day by diving under the water, and was about to say something, when Tidus voiced his thoughts.

"You know, I could go for a dip right about now!" The blond bent over a bag and came up with a few rebreathers and goggles. "I did come prepared, after all!"

"Ya, man, a swim sounds like a good idea!"

"I was just thinking the same thing."

And, once they were all in agreement, they reeled in their poles and stripped down to board shorts, each finding their way into the ocean with a splash. Wakka let out a loud whoop before launching into a cannonball, Tidus made a show of attempting a fancy dive, and Riku effortlessly slid into a straight dive, going deeper than either of the others. Selphie opted to stay on deck and watch the boat, leaving the three to their underwater antics.

They weren't very far out on the water, there was still land in sight, but the water was deep, and with the help of the rebreathers, they were able to stay under longer. Tidus and Wakka defaulted to practicing Blitzball maneuvers, always at it even when they lacked the knobbed ball, while Riku just enjoyed the feeling of the water around him, flowing smoothly against his skin and soothing away the heat of the sun.

It was as Riku was a little off from his friends, swimming lazily towards a school of fish, that he saw something that caught his eye. Behind a rock formation, the shape a lone dolphin. Or so he thought, at first, and it struck him odd that such a social creature was alone, so he changed direction and swam towards that, to investigate. He saw the blue-grey shape of a tail and dorsal fin peeking from around the edge of the rocks, but just as he got close enough to get a good look, a quick movement carried it out of sight again.

But not before Riku saw blue eyes, brunette hair, and a shape that just wasn't what he'd been expecting. He floated in place, disbelieving, for another moment more, before Wakka's voice pulled his mind away, calling him back to the boat.

Riku spent the rest of the day staring out into space, trying to make sense of what he'd seen. Or anyway, what he'd _thought_ he'd seen. And when they skidded across the water, towards the shore, he turned to watch the ocean fall away behind them, squinting against the setting sun. As if he could catch a glimpse of it again.

Unknown to him, the thing he was looking for was following their little boat to shore, staying just out of sight. Riku wasn't the only one looking to see the other again.

Sora followed the shadow cast by the boat, powerful tail driving him forward. He wanted to see the silver-haired human again, the one that was prettier than any human he'd ever seen before.


	4. Step Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xion is a victim of street harassment  
> Rating: G

Xion tucked her small bag tight under her arm and took a deep breath as she stepped off the train, steeling herself to wait for the connecting bus. It wasn't too dark yet, and the area wasn't that bad, but—

"Hey cutie!"

Xion slid her eyes to the ground, trying to avoid the man's gaze, and chose a seat on a bench a little ways away from him. She'd put her earbuds in, but of course that was no use when it came to these kinds of situations. Deterrents were no use if the person ignored them. She frowned to herself at the thought as she situated her bag on her lap.

"Hey, why the long face? A girl like you shouldn't frown."

Xion's grip on her bag tightened. She hadn't expected him to follow her over, but she wasn't surprised. These guys didn't have any respect for boundaries. It was a fact of life.

She tensed when he placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned close. "C'mon now, smile!" His breath was close to her ear and she wasn't sure what to do, and a small voice inside her was telling her not to panic, but she couldn't help it, he was so close and it was making her stomach curl into something uncomfortable and—

"Hey, get your hands off my girlfriend, asshole!"

Xion didn't have a boyfriend, but she was willing to play along if it would get the creepy guy away from her.

It didn't.

He only laughed. "A little shrimp like you?" Then, to Xion, "Sweetie, I'll show you what a _real_ man is like." Xion was straining to lean away from him, when suddenly he wasn't there anymore, and she breathed a tiny sigh of relief. It was short-lived, though, when she saw that, indeed, her savior was quite small, almost as small as herself, and although he'd obviously thrown the first punch, she had her doubts that he was a match for the larger man.

However, despite his size, the blond was a flurry of movement and quick punches, and when it became clear that her savior was a bigger challenge than he'd anticipated, the creep stepped back, hands up in surrender. Without another word, he retreated to the far end of the platform, and Xion offered her savior a small, grateful smile.

The boy dragged a hand over his mouth as he stepped a little closer to Xion—not too close, she noticed. "Hey, are you okay?" The concern in those blue eyes was genuine, and Xion's smile widened a little.

"Yes, thank you," she murmured. "But what about you?" Xion pointed at his mouth. "Your lip is bleeding."

He thumbed the split, then glanced down at his bruised knuckles. "It's nothing." He lowered his voice, "I'm Roxas, by the way. You don't have to tell me your name if you don't want, but I noticed you before, and figured you could use some back-up. Anyway." He glanced over to where the man had retreated. "Are you getting on the 14?" Xion nodded. "Okay, well, if you want, I can stay with you until your stop. But if you don't want me to, that's okay, too."

Xion studied Roxas. He looked sincere, and he wasn't pressuring her. He gave her a way out. In any case, she could get off the bus a little before her stop and have Namine meet her. Just to be safe.

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Street harassment is a very serious issue, and it affects a lot of people--not just women. Please remember to always be respectful, polite, and above all, safe. It is okay to educate your harassers, but please, please make sure to do it in a manner that is respectful and that you are in a safe place to do so. And if you see someone in this kind of situation, don't be afraid to come to their rescue! They'll probably thank you for it! Also, don't resort to violence like Roxas.


	5. Gunpowder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember, remember, the fifth of November. Sea salt trio.  
> Rating: G

Roxas dropped another armful of scrap wood onto the growing pile and turned to Axel. "Why are we doing this again?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "It's Guy Fawkes Day? You know, 'Remember, remember, the fifth of November?'"

"You mean the thing from V for Vendetta?" Xion had dropped her load into the pile, as well, and now stood to one side, lips tilting up into a small smile, eyes flicking back and forth to watch the exchange.

"Well yeah, except it _is_ a real holiday."

Roxas raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, in _Britain_."

"So?"

"So, Axel, maybe you didn't notice, _but we don't live in Britain._ "

Axel crossed his arms. "And?"

"And, you're not British."

Axel place a conspiratorial arm around his friend. "Roxas."

"Axel."

"It's Bonfire Night. Bon. Fire. And fireworks. There _has_ to be fireworks."

Xion giggled. "Of course!"

Roxas shrugged the redhead off and spared a glare for Xion before turning it to Axel. "In _Britain_. Also, in case you've forgotten," Roxas gestured to a paper bag that Axel had placed several feet away, "those are kind of illegal."

Axel chuckled ominously and flashed his teeth. "More than kind of, Rox."

"More than—" Roxas strode over and peered into the bag. "What the hell did you get? And where did you get it?"

"Only the good stuff," Axel grinned wider and slapped the blond on the shoulder, "but of course, if I told you where I bought them, I'd have to kill you. Now hurry up, I told everyone to be here at eight."

"Why do I always get stuck helping you with this kind of crap, anyway? Couldn't you have had some of the others pitch in? Maybe someone with _longer legs._ "

Axel leveled a flat stare at Roxas. "Have you ever tried getting Demyx to do anything remotely resembling work?" Roxas at least had the grace to look chagrined at that, and Xion snorted. "Anyway, Xion's not complaining. And none of _them_ are my best friends."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine."

A few more bundles of wood, and Axel stood back to admire the pile they'd created. It wasn't as big as Axel would like, they were too close to the city, but it would still make an impressive blaze. He nodded in satisfaction. "Now, to get this baby lit!"

If he was a little too eager in the glow of the fire he coaxed into life, neither Xion nor Roxas would admit it out loud. If anything, Axel's enthusiasm for fire caused fond smiles to tug at their lips, and the Guy Fawkes mask he donned in the warm light made it all feel official. Later, after the others had joined them, they all gazed up in awe at the spectacular explosions in the night sky, orchestrated with an exaggerated plastic grin and brilliant red hair.

And of course, they all laughed and whooped as they ran from the flashing red and blue lights. The others scattered in all directions, while Axel steered his short-legged friends into an abandoned building nearby to hide, and they waited in a dark room with hands clamped over their mouths until they were certain the coast was clear.


	6. Sunglasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: sunglasses, AkuRoku  
> prompter: professorsparklebutt (tumblr)  
> Rating: T

The door to the shop opened with a soft jingle to admit a solitary customer. It was that time in the evening that all the stores were quiet, removed enough from the after-work traffic and closing time both that customers were few and far between, so Roxas was buried in a book when the man entered. He scowled down at the pages, irritated at the interruption (not at the book; he was loathe to leave that) before tucking the bookmark into place and closing it with restraint. He was at work, after all, even if he sometimes forgot that he was there to _work_ , not read. No need to get angry at the fact.

The man had his back turned, examining a display, when Roxas finally looked up and he was instantly glad that he'd been scheduled for the day because, damn, it was quite a view from behind. His eyes went first to the shock of red hair, pulled into a French braid that was just a little too loose. Then to the pinstriped suit, expertly tailored, to fit the tall, slim body, and, oh, he perked up as his eyes traveled a little lower. His gaze lingered there for a moment, admiring the cling of those trousers, and he reluctantly dragged his eyes away. To work.

"Can I help you with anything?"

The man turned and Roxas had to hold his breath for a moment, because the front was just as beautiful as the back. Sharp, angular features, and eyes like he had never seen before. They were brilliant green and piercing, and Roxas thought it was a sin for this man to be in his shop, because eyes like those should never be hidden.

The redhead gave a small smile. "Maybe. I just lost my favorite pair of sunglasses and I was hoping maybe I could find something similar? Or maybe try something new, ya know?"

Roxas nodded. "Sure. Do you remember the style at all? Or maybe a picture of them, I can probably find something for you pretty quickly with a photo." All business. Eyes not wandering. Well, maybe they were.

"Ah, sure!" He produced an iPhone from his pocket, unlocked it, and began swiping. Stopped, and turned the screen so Roxas could see.

Okay, maybe he looked pretty damn good in those Dolce & Gabbanna sunglasses. Roxas snuck another look at those green eyes, though, and wasn't sure it was worth it. "I think I've got something similar."

"The name's Axel, by the way."

"Huh?" Roxas paused mid-step.

"Axel. Got it memorized?" Noticing Roxas' continued confusion, he added, "Do you have a pen? Maybe I can write it down for you. And some numbers, to go with it, if you like."

Roxas blushed. "What—"

Axel winked. "You're pretty cute, practically drooling over me. We should have coffee or something."

Roxas nodded numbly as he handed a pen and paper over.


	7. Turkey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora and Kairi come back from the thrift store with something for Riku  
> Rating: G

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: turkey  
> prompter: nicayal  
> implied poly/ot3
> 
> Still taking prompts! If you're interested, please leave a comment down below!

**Turkey**

Riku was deep in thought, outlining a term paper, when a pair of arms thrown around his neck startled him out of the reverie. He tensed for a moment, ready to defend himself, but relaxed when he realized who it was hanging off of him.

"Riiiiikkkuuuuuuu!" Sora sang, tightening his grip.

Riku grunted and pulled at his arms. "Too tight, can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry!" Sora relented, but still hung onto his boyfriend's neck. "Hey, so we're back!"

Riku chuckled. "I hadn't noticed." He turned in his chair to look at the brunette. "So, anything good?"

Sora beamed, and something about it made Riku pause. The smile was just a little bit _too_ bright. Sora's beacon smiles were, more often than not, a prelude to something Sora wanted. And Riku would end up giving in, because it was Sora, and Sora's smile made him weak, in the best kind of way. "Actually, yes!" Silver eyebrows shot up skeptically. "Kairi and I stopped at the thrift shop, and we found something just _perfect_ for you."

Uh oh. There was definitely a hint of mischief in that smile. Riku narrowed his eyes. "You did."

The sound of the door opening caught his attention, and he looked up to see Kairi joining them, shopping bag in hand, and a glint in her eyes. "We did!"

Riku felt his stomach clenching. They were going to double-team him, and there would be no escape, whatever it was. Sora released him abruptly so Kairi could pass her package to Riku, and he peered inside it with dread. Then frowned. It _looked_ inconspicuous. He reached in, pulling out the brown, knit material. Brown wasn't such a bad color. He shook it out to get a good look, and he was so glad that he was holding the thing up between him and _those two_ , because he did not want to give them the satisfaction of seeing his reaction.

Because the thing was _awful_. It was a button-up vest, with loud orange buttons the size of quarters, leaf and pumpkin appliques, and a big. Ass. Turkey. What he wanted to say was, 'Really, guys?'

"Well, what do you think?" Kairi's voice interrupted his internal dialogue.

He would not give them the satisfaction, he reminded himself, so what he said was, "It's very festive." With a small, strained smile.

"Come on, put it on," Sora urged. Puppy-dog smile. "I bet you'll look super cute in it!" Riku flicked his eyes to Kairi, who was nodding in agreement.

So he reluctantly pulled it on, trying not to frown as he buttoned it up. He held his arms out when he finished, trying to look hopeful. "Well?"

Kairi let out a squeal of triumph. "Yes! Very nice. You have to wear it for Thanksgiving dinner." Riku's stomach dropped. He hadn't thought of that, and he didn't get a chance to think on it much before his two dark-haired companions were cooing over him and squeezing the life out of him with hugs.

Because, as silly as the sweater vest looked, Riku made it look good. Although he would never believe it, and when Thanksgiving dinner came around, he would spend no small amount of time dwelling over what a torture it was to wear the thing. But he would do it. For Sora and Kairi.


	8. Collision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zemyx!  
> Rating: G

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Zexion glared up at the tall man who had nearly knocked him off his feet, causing him to drop an armful of texts and notebooks.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry. Didn't see you there, buddy! You okay?" The man scratched at his strange, sandy-blond hairstyle, offering Zexion a sheepish smile.

Zexion bent to retrieve his books. "I'm fine," he grumbled.

His assailant knelt down to help him. "Quantum Physics? Whew! Heavy stuff. Too much work, if you ask me, but it sure is interesting!" Zexion frowned, reaching out to accept the books as they both stood up, but the stranger made no move to return them. "Hey, this is a lot of stuff for you to carry by yourself, you know? How 'bout I help you carry them, to make up for bowling you over?"

Zexion tucked his long fringe behind his ear as he contemplated the offer. Well, if the stranger was going to be repentant, who was he to stop him? And in any case, he was friendly, so Zexion's reply of "Fine," was much less hostile. Without another word, he turned and headed back towards the SERC building, casting an expectant look back at the guy with the rest of his books when he realized he hadn't followed. "This way."

The guy nearly jumped to catch him up. "Hey, what's your name?" He slouched a little so he didn't tower over Zexion quite so much, and maybe…it was a little cute. "I'm Demyx." Yeah, cute like a puppy.

Zexion spared him a glance as they entered the brightly-lit building. "Zexion." In a practiced motion, he retrieved an ID from his pocket to flash it at the door man. As they neared the elevator, he added, "I can take those from here. No unauthorized personnel allowed on my floor."

Demyx's step slowed. "Aw, I guess." His lips twisted into something like a pout, before his face brightened again. "Hey, how about I buy you coffee or something later!"

Zexion blinked. "Why?"

Demyx seemed to ponder that for a moment. Finally he shrugged. "No real reason, I guess. It just sounded like a good idea."

"Uhm. Okay." Diverting to a table, Zexion set his books down to fish out a pen and one of his business cards. He scribbled his personal number on the back, without really knowing why he was agreeing. Well, more likely than not, the guy would forget and just not call, anyway. So, he was a little surprised when he was presented with a card in return, similarly marked with a phone number other than the printed one.

Demyx beamed as he deposited his share of books into Zexion's arms. "We can work out a time later, yeah?" He waited until Zexion was in the elevator before winking with a "See ya, Zexy!" and Zexion was a little puzzled by the heat that flooded his face.

A young lady in the elevator addressed Zexion as they ascended, her eyes round. "You know who that was, right?" He shook his head in a negative. "Demyx is the lead singer of Melodious Nocturne!" And the way she said it with such reverence made him cock an eyebrow. The young lady continued, exalting the band until they reached her floor.

Zexion already had a text when he reached his office, and the number matched the card he'd been given—which indeed read "Melodious Nocturne" under Demyx's name.

Less than five minutes later, he had a date for Saturday. With a rock star. Well, that certainly had the potential to be interesting.


	9. A Fresh Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G

Roxas huddled against one wall of a building, hunching into himself for warmth. He was wearing a hoodie, but it was doing nothing against the sudden drop in temperature, especially when the wind cut right through it. He frowned and lifted his hands close to his mouth to blow a little warmth onto them, rubbed them together. Shivered when another gust of wind swept into him.

He'd caught a bus out of town only a week ago, wanting to find his own way, tired of being treated like a kid, tired of being manipulated. It turned out, late November wasn't the best time to be without a warm place to stay, and he hadn't exactly had much in his name to begin with. A backpack of essentials, enough money to feed him for some time. Or so he'd thought.

How little he'd known.

He huffed a sigh and watched the cloud of breath that formed in the air. He knew that he could probably find a homeless shelter, but he wasn't familiar with this city, and it was too late in the evening to go to a library to find out. And he certainly wasn't going to ask someone for directions there; he had his pride, after all. But if it got any colder, he might give in. He could only stand the numbing cold to a certain extent.

"Hey, kid." Roxas glanced up at the stranger who'd interrupted his internal debate. Some tall, skinny guy, who looked awfully warm in his peacoat. He tried not to let the resentment show in his eyes. "You alright out here? Waiting for someone?" Roxas shrugged noncommittally, trying to avoid the sympathetic eyes. Vivid green, those, a complement to the bright red hair. Something like Christmas.

He shuddered, imagining how cold it would be in just a month. What would he do then? He certainly wasn't going back _there_.

"Well, if you're hungry or cold or whatever, I can buy you a sandwich. Maybe some hot chocolate. There's a little café a few blocks away." He pointed a gloved finger, as though to prove his point.

"I don't need charity," Roxas muttered. Something hot sounded good, but stranger danger. Right? But did he even have the luxury to refuse?

"Alright then." The stranger shrugged and started walking away. "Suit yourself."

Roxas hesitated for a moment, just a moment, before he started trailing after. "Wait." The man turned, expectant. "Maybe…maybe just some hot tea."

The man chuckled. "They have some amazing chai there, if you like that. It's on me, kiddo."

Roxas scowled. "I'm not a kid."

The man crossed his arms and leaned close, to get a better look at Roxas. "Maybe not, but you sure look it. Especially at that height."

"I only look short because you're so tall," he retorted. "Like some kind of crazy beanpole or something."

A snort. "Beanpole, eh? Nah, the name's Lea. Get it memorized, there'll be a quiz on it later."

Roxas felt a smile tug at his lips. "I already graduated high school. No more quizzes for me."

Lea tsked. "Obviously you've never had the pleasure of attending college." During the course of their exchange, they'd already covered the distance to the café, and Lea held the door open for him. "If you thought high school quizzes were bad, well. Those are tame." As he followed Roxas inside, he nodded at a brunette lady wearing a pink dress and black boots. "Aerith, I found someone you might like to meet."

The lady named Aerith stepped forward to greet them. "Hello, I'm Aerith," she murmured, and Roxas knew just by the sound of her voice that she was someone he could trust. She had such a maternal vibe that he couldn't refuse when she asked, "Who are you?"

"I-I'm Roxas," he stuttered.

Aerith smiled, and it warmed him to his toes. "Welcome, Roxas. If you need anything—and I mean anything—please don't hesitate to ask."

Roxas wouldn't ask her right away, but he knew what he wanted. And he thought he might've found it, already: a fresh start.


	10. Kitchen Science

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku date night!  
> Rating: G

"Bienvenue chez Axel!"

Roxas raised an eyebrow at the redhead's bad French, but smiled, anyway. It was the first time Axel had invited him _over_ for dinner, as opposed to _out_. Whatever that might entail, well, they hadn't gotten that far yet, but he was looking forward to watching his date cook him dinner. There was something intimate and endearing about having someone else cook for him. Maybe it was a little domestic, he thought, but Axel had been doing everything in his power to impress Roxas.

Not that he really needed to, since Roxas was already lusting over him, but then, that made it all the more adorable.

"Thanks. Should I take my shoes off?"

"Whatever makes you comfortable," Axel shrugged, though Roxas noted that he took his own shoes off and set them to one side of the door.

As he followed suit, Roxas glanced around the small living room, and beyond that, the kitchen. It was…normal. Not impeccably clean, but not a mess, either—a place that was lived-in. A few video game cases were strewn on a coffee table along with a controller, other odds and ends sitting on available surfaces, giving the place character. A little bit of nervousness lifted off his shoulders. Yeah, this was very Axel.

"So, I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs," Axel called back from the kitchen. "I thought we could do something a la Lady and the Tramp."

The redhead grinned at Roxas as the blond parked himself at the breakfast bar and rolled his eyes. "I hope you're not serious."

Axel leaned across the counter to give Roxas a peck on the lips. "Deadly serious. I even called Demyx to come and play accordion for us." Roxas snorted and Axel chuckled, returning to flit around his kitchen. The blond rested his chin on a hand and watched him, a comfortable silence descending on them, until Axel broke it, turning back to Roxas. "What are you doing?"

"Watching you." A hint of pink spread across his cook's face, and Roxas smiled. "You're pretty hot, you know?"

Axel practically giggled as he turned back to the stove. "Not as hot as this spaghetti almost was!" He turned back to Roxas, shaking a jar of spices. "I almost put cayenne pepper in instead of—"

Roxas blanched and cut him off. "Uh, Axel, I think the spaghetti is pretty hot, already. And by hot I mean-" he pointed at the pot, where the ends of the pasta were still sticking up out of the water…and burning, "—on fire."

Axel turned to look and uttered a soft "Huh," before grabbing a towel to combat the fire.

"Uhm, isn't air just going to make it worse?" Roxas slid off his seat, moving closer to see if his help was needed.

"Nah, it'll be fine. I'm really good at putting out fires. Starting them, too, but I don't even know how this happened."

Roxas peered around him at the stove, where the fire had indeed been extinguished. He bit his lip. "You don't try to set the kitchen on fire often, do you?"

Axel let out a bark of a laugh. "No, not usually!" They both looked at the blackened ends of the spaghetti, still smoking a few inches above the lip of the pot.

Finally, Axel turned to Roxas. "Well, I've still got some fettuccini!"


	11. Under the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow up to previous chapter, Caught. SoRiku merfic. Prompt: Under the sea, prompter: anonymous  
> Rating: G

Sora knew about humans. Everyone did: it was hard to ignore the creatures that caused so much havoc and destruction, and it was a given that they would avoid humans at all costs, evading human vessels and keeping to the deeper parts of the ocean to remain hidden. Sometime in the past, they had even learned glamour spells to disguise themselves, taking on the appearance of other sea creatures. It was effective, and merfolk survived under the sea, despite the ever-encroaching bipeds.

Of course, light was scarce deep under water, and it was common for merfolk to swim close to the surface for a bit of sunbathing, and not unheard of for the more curious and bold to spy on humans. There were even tales of mers that had chosen human mates, adopting their bipedal form to join them on land. Whether or not that was true, Sora wasn't so sure, since no one had ever actually _seen_ it happen.

Like other guppies, he and Roxas had been interested in the mysterious land dwellers. Roxas had long grown out of it, but Sora still ventured to the shallows, relying on his fast reflexes to make up for his laziness when it came to glamour spells. It amused him that humans would take to the ocean as if they belonged there, despite their clumsiness.

Although he found out, one day, that not all humans were clumsy.

There were three of them in the water, two that were noisy when they entered the water, and another that dove down with a grace that Sora rarely saw among them. From behind a rock, he watched, the two noisy ones displaying surprising dexterity with a knobbed ball, turning and kicking and somersaulting. He knew a little about this—blitzball, they called it, but most of the ones he'd seen play it were as slow in the water as any others.

He was still enraptured by the knobbed ball when the third human approached his hiding place. Sora didn't think he'd been seen yet, but moved deeper into the rock's shadow to stay out of sight. This one wasn't showing off like the other two, but still moved so naturally in the ocean's embrace, and Sora couldn't tear his gaze away as that one moved even closer to his hiding space, eyes searching from behind their strange lenses. They were brilliant blue-green, and hypnotizing, as silvery hair danced around the human's head.

He'd never seen anything so beautiful.

He waited for an instant too long to move, and perhaps the human saw him, just before he twisted and propelled himself away. If he had—well, Sora bit his lip at the consequences if anyone found out he'd let himself be _seen_ , and without a glamour spell.

Still, _still_. Against his better judgment, he watched the human leave the water, disappearing up into a small vessel, and tracked the thing as it headed inland. Muttered a glamour spell, just in case, as they moved closer to the human's habitat, and away from the safety of deep water.


	12. Arpeggio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zemyx!  
> Prompt:  
> MY DOG WON'T FUCKING STOP BARKING, AND I AM REALLY SORRY, BUT HE SORT OF BARKS AT STRANGE PEOPLE AND I JUST TOLD YOU THAT LIKE A MINUTE AGO WHILE YOU HELPED ME LOOK FOR HIM AT THE PARK AND NOW HE KEEPS BARKING AT YOU SO THIS IS AWKWARD, BUT I THINK YOU'RE HOT AND YOU'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET MY DOG TO LIKE YOU.  
> Prompter: theisrealproject107  
> Rating: G

Demyx didn't mind the rain, despite being out without an umbrella. He'd always felt at ease hearing the tap-tap-tap of falling rain, so it wasn't that that made the day miserable. Maybe for someone else, the gloom and damp would bother them, but for Demyx, the main thing was the chill in the air, causing his breath to make little puffs as he ran down the street, letting his ears lead him. Because the other miserable part of the day was his escaped dog.

The barking was coming from the direction of a nearby park, which shouldn't have been a surprise, since Demyx always took Arpeggio to the park. The bloodhound had gotten loose in his excitement for a walk, tearing down the street. Leaving a flustered Demyx on the doorstep, cursing.

The barking had stopped by the time Demyx reached the park, and he frowned, casting a worried look around. He'd at least taught Gio about crossing streets, but an excited dog didn't always remember his training, and the thought made his stomach curl.

"Gio!" he called out hopefully.

No blur of incoming fur.

He bit his lip and glanced around again. At the center of the park, under a decorative gazebo, was another person, no doubt taking shelter from the rain, and Demyx changed direction. "Excuse me! Did you see a dog, just now?" As he approached the other, he had a moment of thinking, _oh, what an attractive person_ , before his mouth ran off with him. "He's a bloodhound, kind of reddish and black, long ears. He ran off, he got really excited for his walk, you know?"

A slow blink of one visible blue eye, the other hidden behind a curtain of slate hair, as the person tilted their head. "Yeah, he ran that way," they pointed a finger in a direction. "Do you want help finding him?"

Already in motion to chase after his dog, Demyx turned with a smile and nodded. "Yeah, that would be great! Oh, he really likes to bark at strangers, but I swear, he's friendly!"

The stranger chuckled, joining Demyx in the search. "It's okay, I like dogs."

Demyx glanced over. "They're the best, right? Except when they do stuff like this." He called out for his dog again, "GIIIIOOOOO!" followed by a whistle.

"GIIIOOO!" the stranger echoed, and, wow, they had a really lovely voice, too, Demyx decided.

The blur of fur headed their way was accompanied by a cheerful "Aroo! Rooo! Rooo!" Gio stopped a few feet shy of Demyx and his helper, tail wagging eagerly, barking incessantly.

"Arpeggio, quiet!" Addressing his companion, he added "I'm so sorry! He just really likes to bark at new people!"

"It's okay," they murmured, already crouching and holding a hand out. "Arpeggio, is it?" An affirmative bark. "Well, it's nice to meet you, face to face." _Aroo!_ "I'm Zexion." Demyx watched the exchange, smile growing wider, as a _very attractive person_ made friends with his dog (his stomach was feeling light and feathery). "He's really cute." Zexion looked up, face bright, a hand still scratching behind Gio's ears, and Demyx really couldn't stop the next thing that left his mouth.

"So are you!" And promptly clamped a hand over the offending body part. "Uhm," muffled, because he hadn't moved his hand, "uh." He could feel his face growing warm, and Zexion's face had turned a shade of pink. "Sorry, that was a little awkward, uhm. Sorry!"

Zexion let out a nervous laugh. "Maybe we should," they pointed at the gazebo, "get back under there before we get totally drenched."

Demyx nodded and bent to clip the leash onto Gio. Which was made much easier with Zexion's help to keep the hound still. "T-thank you."

Zexion tucked slate hair behind an ear, and Demyx realized it was deliberate, so he could see the wink sent his way. "Anything to help a cutie." And, Demyx thought, maybe Zexion meant Gio, but he was really hoping that Zexion meant him.


	13. Thrills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Racy AkuRoku. Prompt: Axel gets fired from his job, prompter: professorsparklebutt  
> Rating: M

It was dark in the storage closet, and out of the way. Most likely no one would be around any time soon. _Most likely_ , but—

Roxas let out a low moan, hands clutching at a shelf for support.

"Shh!" Axel hissed, clamping a hand over his mouth from behind. Roxas shuddered in response, suppressing any further noises. Instead, the sounds of their panting filled the confined space, punctuated by the soft slap of bodies joining. It was hot, the air growing stale in the enclosed space, and sweat made what clothing they still wore cling and stick to their skin. A thrill of excitement ran through them both at what they were doing, just a few doors down from their coworkers.

Voices approaching in the hallway made it even better, with the threat of being caught so close. Axel's hand had wandered elsewhere, stimulating instead of suppressing, and Roxas' breath stuttered. A gasp from the blond, and Axel couldn't stop his own voice from coming out in a growl.

They were still gasping for air when light flooded the little supply closet, Roxas' pants pooled at his feet, and Axel's halfway down his ass. The world stopped spinning for a minute, the two lovers literally caught with their pants down, and their supervisor blinking and turning red as his mind processed what he was seeing.

The man sputtered, paused. Then bellowed, "Out! Both of you, out!" Axel's laugh came first, but it spread to Roxas like fire as they hastily pulled their clothing back into place. "Don't even bother going back to work, you're fired!"

They were both still laughing as they walked through the sliding doors and onto the sidewalk outside. "Did you see his face!?" Axel cackled.

Roxas grinned. "I bet he never saw such a literal realization of closeted gays."

Axel snorted, and then grew serious. "I've never had such hot sex before. That was pretty thrilling, you know?"

Roxas shoved the redhead. "I should've known you were an exhibitionist."

Axel chuckled darkly and leaned down with a leer. "I'm a voyeur, too." Roxas hummed in appreciation.


	14. Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku fluff. Because no one ever talks about the trials of long hair.  
> Rating: M

Roxas was the first to wake, eyes cracking open slowly, only to snap shut at the sun filtering through the blinds. He turned and nuzzled Axel's chest, relishing in his lover's body heat, and the musky scent from the night before. He was comfortable, reluctant to move, even though he'd snapped to consciousness almost as soon as he'd opened his eyes. So he turned his attention to caressing the redhead, and leaving little butterfly kisses on bare skin.

The affection woke Axel, although, as usual, he was much slower to wake fully. It began with a crinkle between his eyebrows, low groans, followed by languid stretching, before green eyes fluttered open.

"Good morning," Roxas purred, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Hey you," Axel murmured. He shifted and tugged Roxas closer, so he could plant a kiss on top of the blond head. Then pulled back with a wry smile. "Attack of the hair," he chuckled, plucking out strands of red that had managed to entangle themselves in short blond.

Roxas hummed his amusement. "You shed too much."

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Says the person pulling at my hair. It doesn't all come out by itself, you know." He placed a kiss on Roxas' forehead. "I don't mind the consequences, though." A lecherous grin.

Roxas pushed at his shoulder, a small pout on his face. "I can't help it."

"Uh-huh." They lay together for a while, just enjoying their closeness, punctuating the time with small affectionate kisses and caresses.

Axel shifted first, unsettling Roxas. "Sorry love, nature calls." He bent and kissed the blond as they disentangled their limbs, and then slid out of bed. Turned and winked at Roxas, knowing full well the view he was presenting.

Roxas swatted him. "You better go before I decide I won't let you!" Axel grinned.

When he returned, though, he had a scowl on his face. "Fucking hair," he grumbled, indicating the near rat's-nest of red at the base of his skull. "I swear I'm going to cut it all off." Instead of returning to bed, he retrieved his brush, giving it a hopeless look.

"Nooo, don't cut it!" Blue puppy eyes stared up at Axel as he struggled to untangle his mess of hair. "It's too sexy to cut."

Axel let out a small huff. "You're not the one who has to deal with sex hair."

Roxas gave a sly smile, blue eyes darkening. "That's what I find so sexy."


	15. Smash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: The 4th Wall  
> Prompter: anonymous  
> Rating: G

Kairi frowned. "But why did they name her _Linkle_? What kind of name is _that_?"

Riku shrugged. "At least there's a playable female now."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but they could've—"

Sora cut her off. "Can we talk about the fact that _Cloud_ is in Super Smash Bros and I'm _not_?"

Kairi and Riku looked at their pouting brunette friend, then at each other. It was only a few seconds before they both burst out laughing. "You, Sora?" Riku chortled.

"Oh my god," Kairi giggled, "I can just imagine it!" She imitated Sora's voice, "'This is it! Take that!'"

Riku snorted and added, "'Let's go!'"

"And then," Kairi gasped, "BZZT! Fried by Pikachu!"

Sora glared at the two friends clutching at each other and nearly in hysterics. "Come on, guys, I'd be great! I already beat Cloud more than once at the Coliseum!"

Riku levelled a gaze at Sora, expression turning serious. "That's the Coliseum. Smash is something else entirely." His lips turned up into a smirk. "Anyway, you still can't beat me."

"Oh yeah?" Sora challenged. "Let's go!"

Kairi and Riku started laughing anew. "See, just like I said," Riku gasped.

Sora slapped a hand to his forehead with a groan. "You guys!" he whined.


	16. Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SoRiku  
> Prompt: Zero  
> Prompter: anonymous  
> Rating: T

Sora glanced down at his watch, the dim glow of its hands barely discernable in the dark. _Three minutes_. He tugged his hat down a little lower, just in case. His unruly hair always had a tendency to escape, and that was something he wanted to avoid, this time.

He moved soundlessly across the lawn, keeping low, ducking into the darker corners as he went. A silent shadow, creeping in the night, in the black suit of anonymity.

He took the porch stairs with the grace of a cat, not a creak sounding in in the old wood as he approached the door. A quick study of the locks before he produced the proper pick. The sound of crickets singing louder than the sound of the tumblers falling into place. Then the deadbolt, only a little louder. Neither of them much of a challenge.

 _Two minutes_.

The door protested with a small squeak, hinges needing oiling, but that couldn't be helped. Sora pushed it closed behind him, eyes darting to find the blinking light of the alarm system. He had thirty seconds to disarm it. He knew that from the manual. He also knew how to manually reset it without triggering it. That would save time. Gloved fingers hesitated above the panel for a moment, then tapped the sequence of buttons with confidence. Small green light, constant. Go.

Down the hall, then up the flight of steps, slipping slowly, cautiously into the study where his objective lay.

 _One minute_.

Sora's information had only indicated the room, not the exact location, and he bit his lip, eyes probing the semidarkness for any sign of it on the bookshelves, on the desk, or even framed on the walls. Nowhere in the open. He began searching the drawers. Nothing.

 _Thirty seconds_.

He turned back the bookshelf, pulling out the thickest volumes to check for a hidden compartment. It was more common than he would've thought, when he first had taken up this line of work, and it proved fruitful yet again.

His hands closed over the chain and the metal sculpture attached to it, depositing it in his pocket before tucking the false book back into place.

"Zero." The word was breathed in his ear.

Sora stiffened, feeling the cold metal of the knife at his throat. He hadn't heard the man come up behind him, but that in itself didn't surprise him. He was the expert, after all.

"Riku, I got it!" he hissed.

"But you didn't get _out_." The words were so low, he wouldn't have heard them had they not been so close.

"No one even noticed—"

"I did." Sora felt the warmth at his back shift; the knife retreated from his throat. "And now that I've caught you…" Teeth bit down on Sora's earlobe, silky hair tickling his neck. He shuddered.

"Are you serious? Here?"

A dark chuckle. "Why not?"

" _The job_."

A low hum as Riku's hand felt into his pocket, withdrew with the target item. "This is mine, Sora. This is _my_ office."

Sora tried to turn, but hands on his hips stopped him. "You—you seriously had me burgle _your own place?"_

Teeth on his neck, now, making his toes curl. "It was a test, dumbass." Any further arguments on that point were cut off with a strangled cry of pleasure. "You passed, by the way."


	17. Nobody Sleeping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku, canon universe. Angsty.  
> Inspired by this fanart: http://sta.sh/01jl4ctwvv83  
> which was inspired by 'Ghost' by Halsey  
> Rating: T

Flicker of harsh neon on bare skin and unkempt sheets. Smell of sweat lingering; air gone cold again.

Roxas' skin raised in goosebumps, but he didn't feel it. He was too lost in his thoughts, staring at the ceiling. Beside him, the other shifted, an arm draping over his narrow chest, and Roxas absently curled his fingers into the silky red hair, eyes drawn to his companion. Small purple marks, like tracks of tears down his face, a fringe of dark eyelashes, shutting those green eyes away.

It wasn't—

Something was missing. It didn't feel right, and it sent his mind racing again.

When he was asleep like this, it didn't _feel like_ Axel. The brash young man he worried over, possibly even cared for—well, could he care? Nobodies didn't have feelings, it was what he was told, again and again. There was the tactile, but beyond that, it was just the mind. Right? But why was he so afraid when Axel's eyes slipped shut in sleep? Like Axel didn't even exist anymore?

It was like holding an empty shell.

He shouldn't have found it so alarming. They were already nothing. Nobodies.

Ghosts.

Where did ghosts go, when they closed their eyes? Roxas had never dreamed. It was mission, mission, blackness, morning, more missions. Axel had once told him that he dreamt of his past self, fragments of memories, when he slept. Is that where they went? Why was Roxas different?

Why did Axel leave him alone?

_My ghost._

_Where'd you go?_

_I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me._


	18. Gobble, Gobble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku, Zemyx, and THANKSGIVING!  
> prompt: gobble  
> prompter: nicayal  
> Rating: T

Axel's presence was announced by a meaty thump on the table.

"What the hell is that?" Roxas cried.

"A turkey. You know, 'Gobble, gobble?' What does it look like?"

"Roadkill!"

"Oh. Well, that, too. Anyway, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, so I figured I'd bring it home."

Roxas gave the crushed carcass a disgusted look. "You're kidding, right? That's what the supermarket is for. Also: Ew."

Axel scowled. "Look, the motherfucker ran out in front of my car and messed up my bumper, okay? I figured I might as well. Not like it's going to pay the repair bill."

"And, my dearest Axel," Roxas said sweetly, "just _who_ did you think was going to pluck and gut our supposed Thanksgiving dinner?"

Axel's mouth opened in a slash of white teeth. "Why, you, of course!"

Roxas threw a dish towel at him. "The hell if I am. I'm not even _touching_ it." Glowering at Axel he added, "Don't even _think_ about bringing it into the kitchen, either. It's bad enough you got the dining table all gross."

"Well, where am I supposed to take it, then?"

Roxas threw his hands up. "The garage, maybe? Or out back? Just get it out of the house!"

Axel snagged the thing's legs with a grumble and moved towards the door. As he was opening it, he called over his shoulder. "Fine. Don't appreciate me for putting dinner on the table, then."

"That's not dinner, Axel!" Roxas hollered after him.

Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and crisp, with a hint of winter on the air. Axel didn't get up with the sun—he always slept as long as he could—but the late morning found him pulling the trash bag out of the garage fridge and hunkering down in a chair, turkey carcass in front of him, plucking feathers with determination. About an hour into it, and he was frowning down at the almost-bare carcass, contemplating the dead eyes and other parts that weren't included in the average store-bought turkey.

Near noon, Demyx's battered Honda pulled into the drive, ejecting the enthusiastic, sandy-haired man and the much more somber Zexion. They both took one look at a gore-covered Axel and made a silent agreement to pretend they _hadn't_ seen that. Instead, they made a beeline for the front door, where Roxas greeted them with something like a grimace.

"Hey Rox," Demyx stage-whispered, "is everything okay with Axel? He looked like he was on a murder spree."

Roxas snorted, waving a hand to invite them in. "Yeah, well, maybe he is."

"What is he even doing?"

A shrug. "Dissecting roadkill, I guess."

"Has he…ever even taken a science course?" This from Zexion.

It earned a laugh from Roxas. "Your guess is as good as mine. I figure I'll leave him at it a little longer, and then make him come in to help with dinner."

Roxas was putting the store-bought turkey in the oven when Axel flung the garage door open, face triumphant, messily-butchered bird held high. "Here you go, babe! It doesn't get any fresher than this!"


	19. Black Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SoRiku  
> Rating: G

Walmart wasn't exactly Sora's favorite place to shop on a good day. It was crowded and noisy, and always seemed to be frequented by the strangest of characters. Not that he minded other people, he'd always had an open heart and mind, but some people just took things too far, and they always seemed to do it at Walmart. So he usually shopped elsewhere, unless he couldn't avoid it.

Unfortunately, he couldn't avoid it on Black Friday, which, in retrospect, was probably one of the worst ideas he'd ever had. But his little brother had practically begged for the little green Yarn Yoshi amiibo, and Sora couldn't deny Ven anything.

It was amazing how quickly the thing had become scarce. He'd checked online that morning, but it had mysteriously vanished from the internet, save in ridiculously expensive eBay auctions. The local Game Stop had been his next course of action, but that had proven fruitless, even after the associate checked the inventory at the store the next town over. He'd called Target, to avoid the crowds, only to be informed that they had sold out, too. His final resort, Walmart, determined that there might still be a few left, but they couldn't hold any for him.

He'd rushed to Walmart, all but running to the electronics section, and there, glimpsed between the other milling, frantic customers, he saw the plush green and white dinosaur. Sora's face lit up in a triumphant grin as he ducked through the crowd, giving cheerful "excuse me's" as he went. _Ven was going to be so happy at Christmas!_

Except, as Sora reached out to claim the package, another hand closed around it, fingers bumping into his own.

Normally, Sora would be the first to let go and apologize, avoid conflict, and make nice. But today was an exception. He'd run the gauntlet for his prize, and he _needed_ it. So, smile fixed in place, he turned to the owner of the hand, which had also failed to retreat. "I'm sorry, but I saw it first."

The aquamarine eyes that turned to him flashed, a scowl set on his face. "There's no way to prove it. Anyway, I grabbed it first." Sora's smile slipped, and they stared each other down, both refusing to release their grip on the prize. A few passerby stopped to stare, but then hurried on their way again, shuddering at the intensity between the two young men as they took stock of each other's will.

The stranger broke eye contact first, eyes flicking to the side quickly, then back at Sora, giving the brunette a quick once-over. His lips stretched into a smirk, and Sora had a moment of wondering whether he liked that or not, when the stranger murmured, "I have an idea."

Hyper-focused, Sora asked, "What's that?"

"I'll let you have it, on a condition." Sora quirked an eyebrow in question. "You buy me a coffee at Starbucks after you check out."

Sora blinked. "Uhm."

"It's a pretty good deal, right? Obviously this is really important to you."

"That's it? You're serious?"

"Yeah. We'll shake on it."

"Okay," Sora mumbled, still surprised at the turn of events. He'd worried for a minute that he'd have to brawl for his prize.

"Good," he smiled. The stranger disentangled his hand from Sora's to offer it for a handshake.

Sora immediately tucked the amiibo under his arm and accepted it. "Thanks, my kid brother is going to love me!"

With a chuckle, the silver-haired stranger snatched the other amiibo from the shelf. The one he'd glimpsed hiding behind the first one. "Good."

"Wait—wait! There was another one?"

"Yeah, you didn't see it?" The tone was light and teasing.

"Well…no. But you tricked me!"

"Oh, come on, coffee's not that bad." Sora pouted. "I'm Riku, by the way."

Grumbling a little, Sora started making his way towards the check-out.

Riku trailed after him. "Hey, we shook! A deal's a deal!" He caught the brunette's shoulder. "At least tell me your name."

Sora's face softened at the hopeful look in Riku's eyes. "It's Sora."


	20. Construct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cyborg AU!  
> Rating: T

"Sora?"

Blue eyes flicked open, accompanied by a faint whirring noise. Riku looked on with anticipation as his friend's new body came to life.

"Where—where am I?"

Riku stepped forward as the cyborg's fingers twitched; blue eyes turned to examine the room around them. "DiZ's workshop. Just take it slow, you're still adjusting to the-the," Riku waved his hand vaguely, "cybertronics or whatever it's called. DiZ knows all the technical terms."

"DiZ?"

"Yeah." Riku stared at the floor. "He specializes in stuff like this. Putting bodies together when so little remains." Riku glanced back up. "There wasn't much left to work with after the accident, Sora, but we couldn't lose you."

Only the sound of the cyborg's body, whirring and clicking as he processed this, filled the silence.

Riku fiddled with the hem of a sleeve, biting his lip, before breaking the silence. "Look, Sora, I'm sorry, we shouldn't have just decided—"

"Who's Sora?" the cyborg asked, cocking his head.

Riku stiffened. "What?"

"Do I…do I know you?"

Riku frowned. "It's Riku. We're best friends."

"Oh…"

"Look, just stay here, I'm going to go get DiZ. Something must've gone wrong. Don't worry, we'll fix it!"

Again the low hum of the cyborg processing this. Riku lingered, staring at the vacant blue eyes, before rushing out the door to find DiZ.

"Sora," the cyborg repeated, testing the syllables out. Then: "DiZ. Riku." The names didn't mean anything to him. The silver hair was somewhat familiar, but beyond that, he couldn't recall anything. "What am I?" He held a hand out in front of his face, fingers stretched wide as he examined it. It looked normal enough, human enough, he decided. He felt—well, he couldn't remember anything from before, but he felt that everything was working within him as it should be. But there was something…he couldn't pin it down, but something was off. Something didn't fit right.

He plucked at the white shift covering him. Well, that could easily be changed. It wasn't that. He needed to see himself. Another quick survey of the room, and his eyes landed on a mirror on the wall. Yes, that would do. He moved forward and stumbled. That was right. Still adjusting, Riku had said. He concentrated on the movements required for walking, watching his bare feet scuff across the floor, until it felt natural, and he could focus on his destination again.

The polished glass was large enough to reflect all of him. He was short, pale. Fresh pink scars in a few places, there on the underside of an arm, another high across his thigh and disappearing under the shift. He lifted that up, to trace the path of pink, but it had become less of a trail and more of a horror, crossing his chest diagonally and ending in a mass of shiny flesh on his flank. They didn't hurt, but the newly grown skin was sensitive, and on either side of a scar, the skin was…different. Well, perhaps it was supposed to be.

The cyborg let his shift fall and examined his face. His eyes looked a little glassy, but he'd just woken up. That was normal. His hair, though, that didn't match the image he had of himself. The brown hair was wild and unruly, too dark. It was supposed to be—

"Blond," he said, turning as he heard Riku return to the room, an old blond man in tow. "Why isn't my hair blond?"

The old man stepped forward. "Let's get you go back to the pod, Sora. There was an error syncing—"

"I'm not Sora," he said, voice firm.

Riku hovered behind the old man, face dark with concern and regret.

"Who are you, then?" the man asked kindly.

"My name is Roxas." The cyborg's eyes flickered. Yes, that was who he was. He was sure of it.


	21. Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tiny SoRiku ficlet! Huzzah! Sora and Riku’s first time with ropes, set in the canon universe. Nothing explicit, just a little bit of kink.  
> Rating: M

"Are you sure?"

Riku turned to level a glare at Sora. "Of course I'm sure." He punctuated the statement with a small huff as he shucked his shirt.

"I don't exactly have much practice with this," Sora murmured from behind him. "So it'll be simple." He ghosted his hands over Riku's flanks.

"I think you're missing the point," Riku grunted. His hands were already unbuttoning his pants, pushing them down, but Sora's hand on his gave him pause.

"Leave these." Sora snapped the waistband of Riku's boxer-briefs. "And I'm not. Missing the point, that is. I just," he sucked in a breath. "I want it to be special."

Riku could only turn his head so far, so Sora only got his profile, but his eyes were soft. "It already will be, because it's you."

Sora pressed a kiss onto the delicate shell of his ear. "Okay." The contact between them ended abruptly as Sora turned to retrieve the thing Riku had brought him, with his request. "Are you ready?"

Riku gave a curt nod, eyes flicking to the coil of white rope in Sora's hands as he circled around. There was a brief moment when he tensed, but when Sora draped the rope behind his head, over his shoulders, his breath left him in a sigh. Then there was only the sound of rope slithering over skin, through Sora's hands, and their soft breaths.

Riku wanted to see those blue eyes, but Sora concentrated on manipulating the rope. Down his front. A nudge as the two ends passed between his legs, then up his back. Around his hips, looped through the front, back and forth, back and forth. As Sora had said, it was simple, but the brunette's motions were still a little uncertain. Less confident than he was used to seeing. Even so, he slid a finger under a section of rope, to check its tightness, before tugging at the different elements, like one would tug at shoelaces to adjust them.

To finish, Sora positioned Riku's arms behind his back, looping the rope around them to secure him, leave him helpless. He tested the tension once more. "How is it?"

Riku took a deep breath, feeling the rope pressing into his skin as his chest expanded. Felt it pressing close to sensitive areas, and wondered how much more he would feel if he was completely nude. Felt the way it restricted him, his hands useless.

But, more than anything, as he looked into the blue eyes, felt Sora's hands exploring the feel of rope on skin as much as he was, he felt _safe_. It wasn't like with Ansem, and the darkness, when his freedom had been _torn_ from him, whittled away, little by little, by his own misguided actions.

This was freely given.

In Sora's hands, he wouldn't be hurt, couldn't hurt others. A calm descended over him, a peacefulness he hadn't experienced in years.

Riku leaned into Sora, nuzzling his neck. "Perfect," he sighed.

Sora let out a low chuckle. "I agree. This is a good look for you." A hand reached up and stroked Riku's silvery hair. "What comes next?"

Riku didn't bother to lift his head. "Whatever you want," he told Sora's neck.


	22. Stetson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: M (swearing and sex)  
> Pairing: AkuRoku
> 
> Because cowboy hats are sexy.

**A/N:** M for swearing and suggestive themes yeah? A nice change of pace inspired by a conversation with **nicayal** and **tisshuuame.**

**Stetson**

"What. The fuck. Is on. Your head." Those were the first words Roxas uttered as Axel sauntered out of the flight terminal.

Axel quirked an eyebrow, lips turning up in a grin as he fished out a pack of cigarettes. "Got a light, sugarplum?"

Roxas shot him a scathing glare before spinning on his heel and stalking towards the exit.

"Hey, hey wait!"

Roxas ignored him, knowing that he would have no problem catching up on his…long, long legs, wrapped in painted-on jeans… He didn't stop until they reached the car, Axel muttering a string of half-hearted protests in an exaggerated southern drawl for the entirety of the short walk.

Axel lounged against the driver-side door before Roxas could pull it open, calmly retrieving a book of matches from another pocket, and Roxas wasn't sure how he did it, but the way he struck the light was sensual.

Roxas crossed his arms and watched as Axel took a drag, his own mouth tight. "Axel. What. The fuck."

Axel tipped the hat, his grin growing wider. "It's a Stetson, lover." He was still affecting the southern accent. "You like it?"

"It looks ridiculous," Roxas deadpanned.

"Does it?" He was baring a dangerous amount of teeth in that smile, Roxas decided.

"Get out of the way. I'm leaving." He pushed ineffectively at Axel's arm—all that toned muscle, barely contained under the black t-shirt he wore, and Roxas was definitely losing this battle, because Axel smelled _really good_.

Axel was leering as he straightened, giving Roxas access to the door, and that should've been the tip-off, because shortly after Roxas stepped into the space, Axel had stepped into _him_ , effectively trapping him against the car door.

"I missed you, darlin'." The words were spoken close to his ear, the brim of the cowboy hat a light pressure against is head.

Roxas gave one last-ditch effort. "When were you going to tell me you decided to become a rodeo clown?"

Axel chuckled, a low, suggestive sound. "Roxas, I think you know me better than that. I like to _ride_."

Roxas gave a whole-hearted " _Fuck_ ," and spun, grabbing at Axel's hair.

"Yes, darlin." Axel flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it under the heel of a boot, busying his mouth with Roxas', his hands already elsewhere. When he cursed, all of the southern drawl was gone, and Roxas couldn't help a little laugh as Axel fumbled with an oversized belt buckle. There was another, more colorful curse, before Axel pulled away.

Roxas ground his teeth. " _What_."

"Fucking lube, fucking airport security, fucking…" he trailed off, fishing around in his carry-on bag. "Can't a man fuck without having to jump through TSA's fucking hoops?" Roxas was about to dive in with him when he held the ziplock bag up, triumphant. He fumbled it open, pulling out the small bottle and tossing the rest back into his carry-on, and the two crashed back together with force.

From there it was a mess of hands and mouths and skin, the slick of oil as they slid together, and panted breaths echoing in the parking garage. At some point, Roxas managed to get the back door open, and they collapsed into the car, Axel's carry-on all but forgotten.

The Stetson, miraculously, managed to stay atop Axel's head for the entirety of it, and when they finished, he uttered a tired "Yeehaw!" that earned a smack from Roxas. Axel only laughed. "Don't lie, darlin'. You loved it."

Roxas hand wandered down and squeezed. "Call me darlin' one more time, _cowboy_."


	23. Tempest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. Here’s something a bit different. I SAID drabble, but this got a bit on the long side….although it is STILL UNDER 1K WORDS, GO ME. Anyway, I told @xtimesinfinity (tumblr) I’d write them a drabble for the math help (BECAUSE THAT”S WHAT I DO) and got a prompt for StrifeHeart mermaid/pirate. Now, it’s a ship that I only low-key sail, and not one I’ve written before, BUT HEY I LIKE A CHALLENGE. Uhm. But it got a bit…well, I have been writing all of my fantasy dark the past couple weeks, so. Feedback is welcome?

Captain Squall eyed the sliver of land on the port side. They were nearing Jenova Cove; he knew that just below the waters off the coast were jagged rocks that had claimed many good ships. Worse, there had never been word of survivors making it to land, despite the shallow waters.

Squall motioned to his first mate, and then watched his men, to ensure that every last one of them stopped their ears with wax, before doing so himself.

There were things pirates knew, better than merchants and men of law, because a pirate knew the sea like a lover does. Knew its moods, its secrets, and knew that the superstition and the fairy tales all had a grain of truth.

Captain Squall knew it wasn't the rocks that caused men to perish. There were worse things than rocks, and among them were the sirens of Jenova Cove, the creatures known for luring men to their deaths with bewitching voices. But, if rumors were true, just up the coast was a safe harbor, and an untouched treasure. Gold and jewels to buy a life of happiness and rum, more than enough to keep Squall comfortably at sea for as long as he wanted. Even better, the challenge of succeeding, where others had failed, made it a goal worth pursuing.

So they sailed around, the land only just in sight, giving the cursed cove a wide berth, using hand signals in lieu of speech. Squall would take no chances this far out, though the real danger would be their approach.

It went well enough, the Tempest anchored a small way out, and two rowboats settled on the sand as Squall and his landing party ventured into the tropical growth of the island.

They even found the treasure, chests of riches tucked into a hidden cave, and Squall was always one to do his part, even as a captain, so he helped them drag it to the rowboats. It was as he turned to survey the waters, gauging the distance to the Tempest, that there was the sharp pain of something smashing against the back of his head, and the world went black.

He came to with the tide, salt water already lapping at his thighs.

Squall cursed, and the sound of it brought him fully awake. He pressed hands to his ears to confirm that, yes, the wax there was gone.

Mutineed. Stranded on a siren's island. Treasure gone.

He cursed again, lurching to his feet, mind racing. The first step was to get away from the water, away from the creatures that lay in wait, ready to devour him.

"Where are you going?" Squall's eyes snapped back to the beach, searching for the speaker. Had it been one of his men?

There was no one. He spoke with all the authority of a pirate captain: "Show yourself!"

The low voice came again. "I hear there's pirates on the island. You should be careful." The man's voice turned into a pleasant hum. "But aren't you a pirate?"

Squall took a step back towards the water, looking for the owner of the voice. "I'm a ship's captain," he supplied.

The voice laughed. "And no ship!"

Squall's mouth set in a hard line. He strained his ears, trying to gauge the direction it came from. There was a rock formation to one side of the beach, a jumble of boulders that would be an easy hiding place; he headed towards it.

He'd already forgotten the need to stop his ears, to turn away from the water.

Squall glimpsed a flicker of movement, there in a gap in the rocks, barely visible in the fading light. He kept his eyes on the spot, and was rewarded as a man stood up in the space, his lower half still obscured by the rocks, but his upper half bare, all smooth skin and lean muscle. A head of light hair, spiked by a sea breeze, and pale eyes catching a ray of errant sunshine.

He stopped a small ways back and crossed his arms, studying the man. "Well aren't you pretty."

"No. I'm Cloud." Cloud draped himself over the rocks, eyes following Leon with something like hunger. "Come to rescue me, Captain?"

Squall found his feet moving, taking him closer to the other. "I—". He was at the rocks now, picking his way than less care than he ought to. He stumbled, a foot catching on uneven ground, and when he caught his balance again, he was standing nearly over Cloud.

"Come closer, lover," he murmured, and Squall couldn't help but comply, even as a part of him was trying to rebel. There was something wrong.

"I—"  
"That's right," Cloud hummed, reaching for his hand.

Squall could see it clearly, now, the way Cloud's skin blended seamlessly into grey around his waist, the tail in lieu of legs. The sinuous muscle under it, the soft-looking fins, splayed on the rock that he'd balanced on. Squall never seen a siren before, had always imagined them as ugly, evil things, but Cloud was…

So beautiful. More so than anything he'd ever seen in his life before, and he was happy to offer Cloud his hand. It was bliss, when their hands came together, and, in short order, their lips. He wanted to offer Cloud more than his hand, more than his lips. He fought the haze of his mind.

"Cloud, please. Anything you want, just tell me." He spared a thought for his ship, probably leagues away by now, with the chests of riches, but even that didn't seem enough.

Cloud's lips stretched in a grin, his teeth showing yellow and sharp. "Captain, I want your life."

Squall nodded, pressing himself closer to the merman. "Yes, please."


	24. Different People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> LeaKu, "I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified"
> 
> [send me a pairing and a number and i’ll write you a drabble](http://sylvermyth.tumblr.com/post/140761652185/send-me-a-pairing-and-a-number-and-ill-write-you)

It began with a simple enough proposal, Lea’s green eyes catching Riku’s own with a knowing look.  They had been watching Sora chat casually with Kairi, his trademark shiny grin bright even across the practice ring.  
  
“I can still see Roxas in him, you know?” Lea murmured, tilting his head to indicate their friend.  As if it wasn’t clear who he meant.  
  
Riku gave a nod.  “Yeah, me, too.”  
  
Lea sent him a sidelong glance.  “Does that bother you?”  
  
Riku lifted his shoulder in a shrug.  “Maybe a little.”  He scuffed his foot along the ground.  “He’s…”  Riku struggled to find the words.  “It hurt that he never shared that part of himself before.”  
  
Lea nodded.  “Yeah, I get you.”  He was quiet for a while, and then:  “They told us that Nobodies didn’t feel anything, but it was a lie.  I believed it, for a long time, but Roxas changed that, you know?”  He laughed, a low, bitter sound.  “And now I actually have a heart.”  He didn’t bother to elaborate.  
  
Riku nodded in understanding, and they stood in a contemplative silence.  
  
“You’re not going to pursue him, are you.”  Lea made it a statement, rather than a question.  
  
Riku sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  Shook his head.  “Even if he’s forgiven me, I still can’t forget everything I’ve done.”  
  
Lea gave him an appraising look.  “You’re a different person, now.”  He leaned against the wall behind them, crossing his arms.  “Me, too, come to think of it.”  Another dark laugh.  “That doesn’t make it any better, does it?”  
  
“No, it doesn’t,” Riku agreed.  
  
Lea cocked his head in thought.  “You know…”  Riku looked over at him, eyebrows raised.  “Maybe we could do something about this,” he waved a hand vaguely, “mutual pining.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Lea straightened up, away from the wall, and cast a surreptitious glance around before jerking his head, indicating for Riku to follow him.  He led the way to a secluded hall off of the training ring and turned to face Riku, who was giving him a curious look.  Lea pulled him close by the collar of his vest, surprising Riku when their lips met.  It was brief, bruising.  “Like that.”  
  
Riku licked his lips.  Considered what he’d just been offered.  Nodded a little.  “Yeah.  Alright.”  He leaned up and caught Lea’s lips with his own.  
  
After that, Lea and Riku’s sparring sessions were followed by a new kind of physical exertion.  Their heaving breaths in the practice arena were mirrored by the ones against walls, between sheets, whatever seemed the most convenient at the time.  
  
If anyone noticed, they didn’t say anything.  In any case, no one had ever forbidden it, and, if anything, it seemed as if it drove them both to work harder.  In fact, the arrangement saw them both healing, improving for the better.  
  
Until Lea’s behavior began to change.  Riku noticed a new irritability in him, anxiousness where he was used to confidence.  Indecision in the practice ring.  
  
“Lea, what’s going on with you?” he confronted him after a sparring session, before Lea could dart off.  
  
Lea avoided his eyes, tugging at a lock of red hair.  “It’s nothing.”  
  
Riku crossed his arms.  His voice cut through with a rare tone of command.  “Lea.”  
  
Lea bit his lip and shrugged, still not meeting Riku’s gaze.  “You know, I think I finally realized what it’s like to have a heart again.”  
  
Riku cocked his head.  “How do you mean?”  
  
Lea’s voice was low.  “I think I’m in love with you, and I’m terrified.  My heart—it races when I’m around you.  And not from, you know,” he waved his hand.  “Is it…is this normal?”  
  
Riku opened his mouth, closed it.  “Lea…”  He stepped forward, grabbing Lea before he could scurry back, and pulled him into a hug.  “It’s okay, Lea.”  He stroked Lea’s back.  “It is terrifying, isn’t it?”  He was quiet for a while, just holding Lea, and then:  “I think maybe I love you, too.”


	25. Always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: "Hey, I'm with you, okay? Always." SoRiku. WARNING FOR ANGST.

"Sora!" Riku saw it too late, Ansem drawing a Glock from his jacket, his finger pulling the trigger. Heard the explosion as the bullet left the chamber, aimed at Sora.

Things had escalated quickly, too quickly.

Riku had fallen prey to the seduction of the Heartless mafia, with its promises of grand adventure and power. Ansem's promise that the Heartless' goals were lofty ones. He'd soon risen in the ranks with his ambition, becoming the boss's protege. Ansem was more than happy to take the young man under his wing and guide him on missions that were for _the greater good_.

Riku had followed along, believing Ansem's intentions were pure. When he found out the man's true motivations, he wanted out. Wanted to collect evidence on the man who'd manipulated him, to bring him to justice. Sora, as always, was there for him, ready to do whatever it took to help his best friend. Ready to do the right thing.

Ready to lay his own life on the line for Riku's.

_But that had never been Riku's intention._

It wasn't supposed to be like this. They'd been caught—he should've seen it coming, really—and Ansem's reaction was swifter than Riku's. Riku saw it happen, and it wasn't like in books or movies or anything, when they said it happened in slow motion. No. It happened too fast, he couldn't react in time. The sound rang in his ears, the recoil of the gun like a punch in the gut. Panic bubbled up, making his chest tight.

He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, at least, not fast enough to reach Sora, to push him out of the way. Not fast enough to prevent the red blossoming on his stomach. Ansem had already cocked the gun a second time, sighting down the barrel at Riku. But he didn't shoot, just watched with cold, amber eyes as Riku dropped to his knees next to Sora.

Too late. He knew it, could see it in the way Sora's eyes were already starting to glaze over. The way the red blood stained his seconds the moment he applied pressure to the wound. Futile. He knew it.

"Hey Riku," Sora murmured, wincing around his bright smile. "It's not that bad, you know?"

"Sora," Riku whispered. His hands were shaking, he couldn't stop the life flowing out of his best friend. "Sora, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

"Riku, don't cry."

Riku watched the tears dripping onto Sora's face, unable to stop them. He shook his head. "You're leaving me."

"Hey, I'm with you, okay? Always."

Riku drew a shuddering breath. "Sora, I lo—"

He was cut off by a second gunshot. Sora's eyes widened as Riku slumped over him, blood trickling from his forehead. He struggled to wrap his arms around his best friend, at the end of his strength.

Sora never would've thought the color yellow could be so cold as when they stared down at him from behind the Glock. Sora closed his eyes on them, instead focusing on Riku.

A third shot echoed through the room.

_I love you, too, Ku._


	26. Change of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: "I thought you were dead" AkuSai (from nicayal)

Lea draped an arm over Ven's shoulders and ruffled his hair. "Is Terra coming?" He glanced around, surveying the area for their other friend.

And froze. _It couldn't be._

"Lea?" Ventus called after him, but Lea had already pulled away and was wading through the crowd. He thought he'd seen someone he recognized, someone he thought he'd never see again. Their back was to him now, and maybe it was wasn't them but…the peculiar blue hair was the perfect shade, if longer than he'd remembered. If it was him…Lea still had height on him, long strides closing the distance between them.

"Isa?" He spoke the syllables tentatively, still unsure if that was indeed the person he was pursuing.

Lea reached him and tugged on his sleeve. The man paused, shooting a glance over his shoulder, then turned completely. Crossed his arms and regarded Lea impassively. "Can I help you?"

Lea stopped in front of him, trying to breathe. It was Isa. He was older—they both were—but it was the same smooth face, the same eyebrows, the same cool expression. Lea stared at the x-shaped scar bisecting his face, mouth agape. "What-what happened to you? I thought you were dead."

"I think you have me confused with someone else."

Lea's eyes widened. "No, I know it's you!"

The man flicked his eyes over Lea's tall frame, mouth pressed in a thin line. Finally he said, "It's been a long time. Lea."

Lea sighed and nodded. Threw his arms around the man in a tight hug. "I thought you were dead," he breathed again.

The man didn't return the embrace, instead standing stiff, arms at his sides. "Isa is dead," he intoned.

Lea drew back, studying the man he would swear was Isa. "But you're—"

"Saix."

Lea blinked, pulling back more as he processed this. "If you're Saix, then…"

"Lea, geez, why'd you go running off?"

Lea turned to Ventus, then flicked his gaze back to Isa—Saix- teeth worrying at his lips.

"Excuse me," Saix murmured, beginning to turn away.

"Saix, wait." Lea weighed his options. He would only have this one chance, he realized; he felt the way the decision sunk into his eyes, darkening them. "Ven, I'll catch up with you later." He leaned into Saix, whispering in his ear. "When I last met Saix, I was called Axel."

Saix's eyes narrowed, green irises running more towards amber. "I thought Axel had a…change of heart," he replied, voice somehow soft and hard at the same time. He looked pointedly at where Ven waivered, uncertain about leaving his friend.

Lea glanced back at the blond. "Get out of here, Ven." The command was sharp, and he ignored the wounded look it caused. He tracked Ven's retreat before letting himself settle back into the role he used to play, before Isa's disappearance. He reached down into himself to find it; it was easier than he expected, to become Axel again, the anger and the fire still only just below the surface. "I never had the heart to change."

Saix's mouth twitched, something close to a smile coming across his lips. He nodded once. "Show me." He tilted his head, an indication for Axel to follow as he set out, dress shoes tapping smartly on concrete.

Axel knew the game. It was dangerous, to be this person, to follow Saix. But then, that had never bothered him before, and it didn't bother him now. Maybe it bothered Lea, but he'd already made the choice to pursue Isa. Hadn't backed away from Saix.

If they died this time, he surmised, at least they would go out with a bang.


	27. Duplicity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: "Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?" SoRiku (from no-other-words/pas_d'autres)
> 
> Sooooo I might've gotten a little carried away with this fic and turned it into SoRiRoku.....

Riku stared down at the young man in his bed. Sora, the twin of his roommate, Roxas. The annoying twin, he amended. It wasn't unusual for him to visit, or to stay the night, but this was the first time he'd wound up in the wrong bed.

Sora was much less annoying in sleep, his features smooth and peaceful, but Riku scowled, anyway. Asleep, his sky-blue eyes were shuttered, his sunny, toothy smile absent. Everything about him that bothered Riku was subdued by slumber, except maybe his unruly brown hair. Riku's eyes swept down Sora's tanned skin, all bare except for a bit of sheet that did little to cover his…Riku felt his face heating and turned his attention back to Sora's face.

"Hey," he grunted, poking one of Sora's cheeks. "Wake up. Sora."

Sora made a soft, sleepy noise, his nose scrunching a moment before his eyes fluttered open. "Hmm?" He blinked up at Riku drowsily.

Riku folded his arms across his chest and glared at Sora.

"Oh. Hey, Riku!" His lips stretched into one of his trademark smiles.

"Sora." Riku kept his gaze steady on those blue eyes.

Sora tilted his head, eyes glittering, as if he hadn't just been asleep. "What's up?"

Riku pointedly ignored the way the sheets slid when Sora shifted a leg, so that there was even less covered. "Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

Sora's smile dimmed a fraction. "Is there a reason you haven't made a move on me yet?"

Riku dropped his arms to his sides and took a step back, eyebrows shooting up. "What?"

Sora sat up, rolling his eyes. "Come on Riku. Roxas is my twin, remember? We share everything."

Riku paled. What had he told Roxas? He wracked his mind, and found the memory of a recent night drinking with Roxas, confessing how much he wanted to… "Oh." Riku's eyes were wide. "When you say everything, you mean he told you…"

"Exactly what you want to do to me," Sora supplied. He slid out of bed, stalking towards Riku. "So, Riku, what do you say?"

Riku took another, hesitant step backwards, mouth moving but no words coming out.

"Sora, I told you that wasn't going to work." Riku spun to see that Roxas had just entered the room.

"R-roxas!" he sputtered. "Why would you tell him—!"

Roxas raised an eyebrow, mirth clear on his face. "Didn't Sora tell you? We share everything." He reached and caught up one of Riku's hands, and brought it to his mouth. He pressed a butterfly kiss on the inside of Riku's wrist, grinning at the sharp intake of breath it caused. "See, Sora, you have to start slow with Riku."

Riku stiffened as he felt Sora as a heat at his back. A shiver slid down his spine when Sora wound his arms around his waist and pressed his lips against Riku's neck. "Like this?" His voice was low, a breath in Riku's ear, the question directed, perhaps, at both of them.

Roxas hummed and stepped closer, so that Riku was caught between them; Riku felt his pulse speeding and his skin begin to burn. Roxas' fingers found the buttons of Riku's shirt. "What do you think, Riku?" he murmured against Riku's collarbone. He pressed a kiss there. "Does it feel good?"

Sora chose that moment to mouth an earlobe, and Riku's voice came out in something like a whimper. "Y-yes…"

"Riku," Sora's hands were snaking under his shirt, impatient with Roxas' unbuttoning. "You don't mind if we share, do you?" Before Riku could respond, Roxas stood on his toes and captured Riku's lips with his own. "Hey!" Sora protested, "Me, too!"

Riku finally found his limbs obeying him as he turned and claimed Sora's lips in a hungry kiss. "Yes," he panted when the parted. "Sharing is good."

Roxas chuckled behind him, already shucking his own shirt. Riku had no idea what he was in for.


	28. Preserving Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: "Tell me a secret" NamShi (from nicayall)
> 
> My first time doing more than just hinting at f/f! Whoo!

The room was silent except for the soft scritch-scritch of pencil on paper, so Namine heard Xion enter despite her characteristic quiet. Still, she didn't look up, instead focusing on the shapes coming to life under her hands.

Xion peered over her shoulder at the drawing, careful not to block her light. Seemingly satisfied, she moved and curled into the armchair across from Namine, basking in the sun streaming through the windows.

Namine's eyes flickered up then, a small smile on her lips at the sight: Xion, in her all black, looked a bit like a cat, especially with her gaze turned outside. She turned back to drawing.

Namine didn't usually draw the things before her, or at least, not exactly. When she looked around her, at her friends and family, she sometimes saw them as…different people. Sometimes she saw different places, worlds vastly different than her own, superimposed in the distance. It was a little strange, but since it felt natural, she didn't question it. Instead, she recorded what she saw as drawings. It was a compulsion, a need to preserve these other worlds.

"Tell me a secret," Xion had once said. She and Namine were curled up together on the couch, sharing affectionate kisses.

Namine pushed a lock of black hair behind Xion's ear. "A secret…" She hummed a little, thinking. It was Xion asking, so it had to be a good secret. "I think," she started, then paused. "What I draw, Xion, I think it's real. Or was real."

Xion cocked her head, inquisitive. "Really?"

Namine nodded. "I draw what I see, what others don't. But what I see is like…an echo? It's strongest around the twins, Roxas and Sora." She stared off, thinking.

Xion let out a small giggle. "I was jealous once, you know? Of those two. You always seem to be drawing them, and never me." She nuzzled closer to Namine. "You never draw me."

Namine pressed a kiss to her hair to hide the expression on her face.

That was a secret that she wouldn't tell: when she saw Xion, she only saw her girlfriend fading away, and it always made her sad. She would rather keep her here, as she was.

By the time Namine finished her drawing, Xion had dozed off. Namine shook the memory from her mind, and turned her sketchbook to the next page.

Xion wasn't fading away, this time. She smiled, and picked up a pen, instead of a pencil. Scratched bold black lines, lent the harsh color a softness as she drew Xion.

Namine would preserve Xion like this, then.


	29. For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For tumblr prompt: "Teach me to play?" SoRiku from anonymous
> 
> So, this one came out a bit long for a drabble but...I didn't think anyone would complain. (If you do, too bad. This is my fic dumping ground!)

Riku's nerves were singing, the usual rush he got onstage, as he and his band mates made their final good byes to their audience. A spotlight caught on the piercings lining Sora's ear, on the single silver ring he wore as he tossed flowers into the crowd. Roxas, with his trademark checkered wristbands, flicking guitar picks out, the two front men both with gleeful grins across their faces. Axel, coming out from behind his drum set, waving his sticks high, taunting. Kairi, still tapping out a melody on the keyboard.

And Riku, bass still slung in front of him, only stepped forward and pumped a fist in the air, rings glinting from every finger. No picks to throw—he finger-picked—and no flowers, but the fans still loved him, still roared with glee as he plucked out a few notes. Not to be outdone, Roxas strummed out a riff, and of course Axel had to join their noise with crashing cymbals, until it was all a cacophony, the instruments, and the audience cheering.

"Thank you!" Sora's voice was loud over the monitor in Riku's ear, and he knew Sora was nearly shouting in his enthusiasm. "We love you!" Sora pumped his fist into the air once more, before strolling off stage, waving good bye the entire time; Riku watched him grab the nearest water bottle as soon as he was in the wings, just a glance, before he turned back to the crowd. Kairi and Axel next, then Riku and Roxas, the electric of the bass and guitar still echoing from the speakers even as the stage was emptied.

Riku nearly toppled over as Sora collided into him, gasping with laughter. "Guys! That was so awesome!" Roxas and Axel hooted and cheered in agreement, Kairi's soft laughter an underscoring music, and suddenly Riku was in the center of a big, rambunctious group hug.

Riku's lips curled into a genuine smile. "You guys are heavy!"

They parted, one body becoming five again, although Sora's arm lingered across Riku's back, a hot weight that made his sweat-wet clothing cling to him even more. Sora didn't seem to mind, or notice, leaning even more weight on him, and Riku knew his friend was starting to feel a hint of after-concert fatigue by the time they reached the green room.

"Sora, sit," Riku commanded, depositing him on a couch.

Sora clung to his arm, beaming up at him with a lazy, content smile. "You, too, Ku."

Riku grabbed a fresh bottle of water from a table and put it in Sora's hands, and took another for himself. "Yeah, yeah." He plopped down next to Sora.

"Pretty good kick-off for a tour, yeah?" Axel piped up, already bringing a cigarette to his mouth.

Roxas dropped two bottles of beer in front of Sora and Riku. "And the night's only just beginning!"

And it was. Once they'd caught their breath, there was a kickoff party for them, the other bands, and the roadies, a few crafty fans that had found their way in. It was a night of revelry—drunken revelry for Axel and Roxas, who always partied hard—and even Kairi sipped at a Corona, getting cozy with one of the light technicians, a blond girl. Riku only lifted an eyebrow in amusement, and watched Sora knock back a shot with Roxas.

"Rikuuuuu," Sora whined in the small hours of the morning. He was a little drunk, and so was Riku, the buzz of the show replaced with the one of alcohol, but starting to turn into exhaustion. Sora latched onto Riku's arm, staring up at him with unsteady eyes. "Let's gooooo. I'm tired," he pouted.

"Alright," Riku murmured, bumping heads with him. He steered Sora towards the exit, then down the hall. A quick word with a security person for directions to the back way to the attached hotel, and they reached their shared room without incident.

Sora flopped back on the bed nearest the door—Riku's bed. "Ahh, I feel so good. But so tired."

Riku peeled off his shirt on the way to the bathroom, dug his toothbrush out. "Get your rest, Sora. We'll be on the road tomorrow."

"Mmm, yeah." It came as a sigh. Sora was silent for a while, and Riku thought maybe he'd fallen asleep, but he said suddenly, "Hey Riku?"

"Hm?" Riku inquired around the toothbrush.

He poked his head back into the room, to see Sora sitting up, reaching for the bass Riku had left on a stand. Sora glanced back at Riku. "Teach me how to play?"

Riku ducked into the bathroom, rinsing, and returned to sit next to Sora. "What, and take my only job away?" He smirked.

Sora pouted. "No. I like to hear you play. I just…" he trailed off.

Riku bumped his shoulder. "Okay. I'll bring a spare on the bus tomorrow."

Sora gave him a sleepy smile. "Good." And then: "Riku? Can you play for me?"

Riku turned and gave him a peck on the check, reaching around for the instrument. "I always play for you, Sora." He plucked out a few mellow notes before settling into a melody.

Sora leaned into him, rich voice low in Riku's ear as he sang, words to their favorite childhood song. " _In you and I, there's a new land…"_

_"Angels in flight,"_ Riku sang the next line. Only for Sora, did he sing. He suddenly found his arm restricted as Sora slid into his lap, and the sound of the bass stopped as Riku curled a hand over the neck. "Sora, what are you doing?" He kept his voice quiet, trying not to show his alarm.

Sora settled his arms around Riku's neck. "Kissing you." And he did, a soft, moist press of lips, eyelashes fluttering closed over blue eyes.

"No kidding." Riku reached up and pushed brown hair behind Sora's ear, looking into darkened eyes. "You're drunk."

"Maybe a little." He moved to kiss Riku again, but was stopped by a press of fingers against his lips. Sora frowned and shook his head. "Come on, Riku." He squirmed in Riku's lap, and Riku had to close his eyes and breathe deep. When he opened them again, Sora's face was still close, a forlorn look in his eyes. "I love you, Riku."

Riku's breath hitched, and he covered it by pressing a kiss to Sora's forehead. "Love you too, Sor." He threaded a hand through Sora's hair. "But you see, my bass is in the way." He bit his lip, suddenly feeling more sober.

He could hear the smile in Sora's voice. "Yeah, it's pretty sexy." He nuzzled Riku's collarbone. "You smell good."

Riku heaved a sigh. "Look, Sora, let me at least put the bass up."

Sora reluctantly pulled away, leaving Riku enough space to slip the bass from between their bodies without any damage, and then he was pressing closer to Riku, pushing him back against the bed, lips sloppy against Riku's.

Riku dragged a hand down Sora's back, holding himself in check. He couldn't let this get far, wasn't sure if Sora was just feeling amorous from the drink or if it were his true feelings. His heart was pounding, and kissing Sora felt good, tasted like alcohol and a hint of cigarettes. It was a tease, and Riku was wondering how much more he could handle, when Sora rolled lazily to the side, snuggling close to Riku.

Sora let out a contented sigh. "Love you," he murmured again. "I finally said it." He draped a hand over Riku's waist, looking up at him, and Riku felt himself turning into putty in that gaze. "Already knew you did, too." He beamed, and squeezed Riku. "But I wanted you to know, I do, too."

Riku felt warm all over as he pressed a kiss into Sora's hair. "Thank you."


	30. Allegory of a Nobody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt "You need to wake up because I can't do this without you" LeaKu (from key_baes)
> 
> Angst ahoy. I was thinking about Nobodies as an allegory of depression, so, this was born.

Lea stared up at the ceiling, green eyes unseeing as his mind raced.

Outwardly, he was calm. Perhaps a little too much so. He felt heavy, listless, lethargic—he could think of more words that described his physical state, but didn't feel like putting in the effort. Instead he turned to his jumbled thoughts. They fluctuated between a frantic panic and a dead calm, the latter admittedly a product of the former as he tried to distance himself from the panic, became numb to it.

To be fair, actually, it was more of a cyclical thing: he would think about how he was withdrawing from everything that had to do with _Lea_ , and how that withdrawal, numbness, felt like being _Axel_ again, the Nobody, the being without a heart.

The thoughts and feelings had crept up on him so gradually that he wasn't even sure when they'd started, only that they seemed to worsen, and he wasn't sure how to stop it. He _knew_ he was on a slippery slope, that he was straining to hang on, clawing for purchase, and he didn't know how to proceed.

As Axel, he'd been able to share his thoughts with Roxas, but then, Roxas had abandoned him. He was in Sora, now, Lea could see it, but he couldn't reach him, not really. That, coupled with the things his Nobody had done…he couldn't confide in Kairi, it wouldn't be fair, and Riku, well, Axel had been quite a hindrance to the newly-minted Keyblade Master.

So he sucked in a breath and pushed on. And some days, that was fine.

But some days Lea questioned if he really _was_ Lea, and not still Axel. The days when sleep was difficult to find, and his appetite was off, he had to press a hand to his chest to confirm that, yes, there was, in fact, a heart there, beating out a rhythm, erratic in his anxiety, or slow and steady in his false calm.

Some days, Lea felt so awful that he wanted to turn his keyblade—the fickle thing that sometimes didn't come when called—wanted to turn it on himself, unlock his heart and become a Nobody again, because even though he was numb, it was a distant kind of numb. He could feel, more than he'd felt as Axel, and he wanted to tear those feelings from his chest right there along with his heart.

It was those days that he had trouble summoning his keyblade, he knew, his own uncertainty hindering his inherent abilities.

Lea stretched a hand out, willing the keyblade in his hand.

Nothing happened.

It was one of those days. He sighed, draping his empty hand limp over his forehead.

"Lea?"

Lea let out a low groan and closed his eyes, hoping he could pretend he was asleep to avoid the morning's practice.

There was a rap of knuckles on his half-open door, before he heard Riku step through. If he kept his eyes slitted, he could see him standing over the bed, silver hair dulling to grey in the gloom of Lea's room. He pressed his eyes closed again.

"Lea, get up." When Lea failed to move, Riku released a sigh. The bed dipped as he dropped to sit next to Lea, a warm hand pressing against Lea's arm, gently shaking him. "Come on."

Lea breathed out his nose, long and drawn out, as he pulled his arm away. Opened his eyes, and didn't try to hide the emptiness he was feeling. "Are you sure I'm Lea?"

Riku dropped his hands in his lap and studied Lea, head cocked to one side. "I'm pretty sure."

Lea turned his eyes back to the ceiling, picking out patterns in the plaster. "I'm not so sure."

"Hey, look," Riku murmured, and now his hand was on Lea's face, touching the unmarked space on his cheeks. "You're not Axel. Axel's gone." He moved his hand to Axel's chest, above his heart. "This proves it, doesn't it?"

Lea felt himself breaking down, just a little, his mood wearing at him, as much as Riku's intimate touches. Couldn't help but let a little of it out. "It doesn't feel like it. Feels like I'm asleep or something."

Riku pulled his hand away. "Well. You need to wake up because I can't do this without you. This training thing." Riku shrugged, his eyes wandering off into space.

And Lea looked at him. _Really_ looked at Riku, and felt something. Something like what he'd felt with Roxas, a kinship, and maybe even a hint of something else. Lea put his hand on Riku's arm, drawing his gaze back. "Yeah. Alright."

He still felt distant, but for once, Lea felt as if there was a little bit of earth under his feet.


	31. To Seal the Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: Larxene/Demyx "Come over here and make me" from larxdems
> 
> Crossroads demons, anyone?

Demyx knocked back another shot and slammed the glass on the counter. "Lux," he slurred to the bartender, "One day Imma make it big."

"Sure, Dem, sure."

"You don't sound convinced," Demyx grumbled. "Give me another one, will ya?" he waved his empty shot glass vaguely, but Luxord shook his head.

"That's it for you tonight, kid."

"Aw, c'mon Lucky, I'm just starting!" Demyx slumped over the bar, hand stretched out towards the bottles on the other side.

Luxord retrieved Demyx's empty shot glass and swiped a rag over the counter. "Yeah, well, you're not getting anywhere if you keep laying all over my bar."

"'S comfy," Demyx told the counter.

His cheek was still pressed to the sticky surface when he felt someone lay a small hand on his arm. "Hey. You're the guy playing the guitar earlier, right?"

Demyx lifted his head and eyed the petite woman. She didn't look particularly friendly, one of those cut-throat business-types with short, slicked-back blond hair, and piercing green eyes, but in Demyx's drunken state, she certainly looked hot enough. He perked up. "Yeah, that's me." He blinked, trying to clear some of the bleariness from his vision. "Demyx." He offered her a sloppy grin along with his hand.

"Larxene." Instead of taking his hand, she slid her fingertips up his wrist, sending a shiver down his spine, a small smile on her face. "I'm here to grant your wish. What do you say I help you make it big in the music business?"

Demyx sat up straighter. "Yeah? You liked the set?"

Larxene let out a small laugh, and leaned into him. "I'm willing to give you a contract," she purred. She stood on her toes to whisper in his ear. "If you're willing to give up your soul."

"My what?" Demyx laughed, the sound punctuated by a hiccup. "My soul has always belonged to music!"

Larxene's lips curled up. "Then there's no problem." She stroked his arm again. "What do you say, Dem-yx," she drew the syllables of his name out, "is it a deal? We can seal it with a kiss." Her hand was trailing down his chest now. "Maybe more…"

Demyx grinned. "If you wanted a kiss, why didn't you say so?" He leaned down, a little unsteady, and Larxene easily evaded him.

She tutted. "No kiss without the deal. Ten years you get, Demyx, a brilliant, successful musician. After that, I'll come back for your end of the bargain."

Demyx lurched to his feet. "Yeah, alright."

Larxene lifted her chin. "Good." And then, "Now we kiss."

Demyx leaned down with a leer. "Yes, ma'am."

In the morning, Demyx woke alone in a roadside motel, the rumpled sheets and a raging hangover his only company. He wondered if the encounter with Larxene had been a dream, but his pounding head banished the memory before he could examine it too closely. He glanced at his phone for the time, to see he'd missed several calls. He rubbed at his eyes as he pressed the button for his voicemail.

It was a call that would change his life. Because Demyx _did_ make it big.

For ten years, he basked in the spotlight, and it was everything he'd ever dreamed of, and more.

And he'd all but forgotten about the woman from Lucky Luxord's Pub, until she appeared in front of him, looking exactly as she had that night. Not aged a day, her hair the same, slicked-back style, her eyes the same piercing green. "Time to pay your debt, Demyx."

"Come over here and make me," he growled, holding a sitar out between them.

A chilling smile spread across her lips as she approached him and produced a knife. "Gladly."


	32. Write something beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt: "You heard me. Take. It. Off." Leon/Riku from one-diagonal-scar

"What is this!?" Riku slapped the thick packet of his dissertation on Squall Leonhart's desk.

Impassive brown eyes traveled from the paper to Riku, without so much as a raised eyebrow. "Isn't that the question I should be asking you, Mr. Ichiji?"

Riku colored and pointed a quivering finger at the bold, red 'F' scrawled on the cover page "An F? It may not be a fucking masterpiece, but I know it's not that bad."

Squall crossed his arms, leaning back. "'Not that bad,' you say? Alright Mr. Ichiji, it's not bad."

Riku was glowering now. "Then why is there an F on it? Take it off." Squall studied him quietly, which only incensed Riku further. "At least give me the grade I deserve!" he growled.

At this Squall did raise an eyebrow. "That is the grade you deserve." Riku opened his mouth to protest, but Squall interrupted. "I know your writing, Riku." Riku blinked at the sudden change in address, open mouth snapping shut. "This, from you, is frankly garbage. It's bullshit, and you know it. Is this how you will approach your career in academia? Half-assed?"

Riku's shoulders slumped. "I—"

"You didn't put in the effort, and it shows. How do you expect to succeed if you can't offer your best even for something like this?"

Riku scowled and looked away. "I was distracted."

Squall was silent for a moment, mouth set in a hard line. Finally he said, "Okay. I'll take the F off. But you have to strip." His lips tilted in a smirk.

Riku's eyes snapped back to Squall. "I—what?"

"Strip. Take your shirt off."

Riku gaped. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"That's what I thought when I read your dissertation. So. You heard me. Take. It. Off."

"What, here?"

Squall uncrossed his arms. Stood and came to the other side of his desk, a hand caressing Riku's arm. He trailed it down to the hem of Riku's shirt, gripping it. "Off."

"Can't this wait until we get home?" Riku muttered.

This time Squall raised both eyebrows and turned to rap his knuckles on the red F.

Riku had the grace to look contrite. "Fine." He shucked his shirt in one quick motion. Squall's hands ghosted over his bare skin and then retreated again, to let Riku wiggle out of his skinny jeans, toeing off his shoes along the way. Once he was bare, he sent Squall a glare, arms akimbo. "Happy now?"

"No. Sit." Squall gestured to his vacated seat. "Write me something beautiful."

Riku plopped into the chair without ceremony and wordlessly accepted the notebook and pen Squall gave him. "Whatever you say, lover." His mouth was in a thin line as he considered the blank page.

Squall leaned against the opposite wall, watching him. It was a lovely sight, not just seeing his lover nude, complying with his request, but to see him sink into the writing process. His face softened in increments, his mouth relaxing, his eyes gazing inward. The only thing that didn't soften was his brow, which furrowed in thought.

He could fall in love all over again.

The scratching of pen on paper had already paused, Riku's eyes far, far away, when Squall joined him on the other side of the desk. He tucked a knuckle under Riku's chin, and Riku came back to earth slowly, green eyes focusing on Squall just before the other man leaned down to press their lips together.

"It's not done," Riku protested, but Squall only offered a dismissive grunt before continuing the kiss.


	33. Flamme Noire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr NSFW prompt: "ah, ah, not yet. You're not allowed" AkuRoku, from princess-wasabi. So what I did here...well, I picked up one of my unfinished drabbles and just ran with it. It is in first person, so, uh, that was a little strange to write, but it had to be for this style. It was fun though! Hope you enjoy!

It was a rainy Tuesday when Roxy came to my office. Of all the gumshoe joints in Twilight Town, he chose mine, the seediest one, tucked into the back of a dark alley. I wondered how he had even found the place. He was petite, blond hair styled immaculately, and blue eyes wide with desperation. "Are you Detective Cendres?"

"Yeah, that's me. What can I do for you?" My eyes caught on his sharp, pinstriped suit, visible under his unbuttoned trench coat. There had to be good money, there, to buy those kinds of clothes.

"I found myself in a spot of trouble and I heard you could help me out." He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, inhaling the smoke as if it were a lifeline. It probably was.

"What kind of trouble?" I gave him another once-over, wondering what kind of trouble a cute kid like him could get into.

"Organization trouble." He stared me straight in the eyes, as if challenging me.

"I don't cross the Organization, kid. Find someone else." I stood to show him the way out, but he put a hand on my arm.

"They told me you were the only one that could."

"Maybe that's so. But I'm telling you I won't." I shook out of his grasp, but he moved to block the door.

"Someone's life is on the line!" Oh, those blue eyes were trouble. I could feel it.

"Ain't it always like that? You're talking about the Organization, here, kid." I snatched the cigarette from his lips. Took a drag of my own from it. "Aren't you young to be smoking these?"

He scowled. "My age doesn't factor in here. Look, will you please help me? Xion—Xion doesn't stand a chance with them!"

"Xion, that your girl? Sorry, kid, I don't wanna be held responsible for someone's life if things go south."

He gave me a hard stare. "No, I'm the one responsible." Then looked down at the floor. "It's my fault she got involved."

I crossed my arms. "That's gotta be a tough cross to bear."

His eyes snapped back up. "Look. Detective."

"Axel."

"What?"

"My name's Axel."

"Fine. Axel. Whatever. I can pay you. Whatever you want. I just need your help." He stuck his hand under his coat, reaching for something—I felt the automatic reaction of tightening muscles, too many years spent in the slums, expecting violence, but he only pulled out his wallet. "Look. She needs our help." He held the photo up, a delicate, dark-haired beauty with eyes that looked right through me.

I raised an eyebrow. "I ain't interested in your money, or your gal. Now if you're smart, you'll walk out that door and forget that girl ever existed." I pushed past him and pulled the door open.

I'd already propelled him halfway into the hallway when he turned to me, voice quiet. "She's not my girl. Just my best friend."

I paused, studying him. He was hesitant, biting his lip. That was almost enough to stop me from kicking him out of my office.

"I heard a rumor about you."

I cocked my head. "There's lots of those." I puffed at the cigarette. "Which one'd you hear?"

"Money isn't the only form of payment you take."

I laughed. Yeah, that was true. I half-hoped he knew that he knew the currency. "Well, I won't deny it. But, sweetheart, I don't think you're able to pay the other way."

He lifted his chin, voice coming out stronger. "Don't be so sure. I heard another rumor. That you like both." He didn't vocalize the word, it was dangerous to do it in the open, but I knew what he was implying.

I took a step back. Oh-o. "Do you?" If he offered me that, I wasn't sure I could refuse him. Even if it did mean tangling with the Organization. I looked him over again. That trench coat covered him effectively, but his face was one of an angel.

"No." His answer was confident, and it was the one I was expecting, but— "But I can pay."

I sighed, watching smoke curl in the air. It had been too much to hope for. "Get lost, kid."

"I'm not a kid." He was walking towards me again. "My name is Roxas." He closed the distance between us, a hand on my chest. Those eyes gazing up at me, a glint in them that I thought I recognized. His voice softened. "I'll show you."

I let him push me back into the office, the door snapping shut with an angry squeal of hinges. The deadbolt dropping in place.

The trench coat made it to the coat rack this time, and then Roxas was sliding his tie off, the pinstripe jacket on a free chair. "Let me show you," he grabbed my shirt front and pulled me down, lips meeting mine. Hesitant at first, then eager, teeth and tongue joining in the assault. A hand pressed against me, kneading through the fabric of my trousers. He propelled me back until I felt the desk against my legs, and we were both gasping. He pulled away, eyes intent on me. "I can pay. I want to."

"Okay," I breathed. Ran a hand over his shirtsleeves. Fine cotton, and beneath, the smooth slide of moving muscles. Our lips connected again, and it became a series of sensations. Fabric separating from skin. Hot fingers.

Roxas's mouth on me, everywhere. I was certain he was enjoying it, liked having me on his tongue. Realized he must've planned this, when he produced a small vial of oil. Realized he must know what he was doing, as he pressed a slick finger into me.

Realized I would be happy to tackle even the Organization as his cock slid in, teeth sinking into my shoulder. This kind of pleasure I would do anything for.

I was on the edge, scrabbling for purchase, but it was Roxas's hand around me that grounded me, stopped me short. Just on the edge of release, his hips still rocking against me in a slow, deliberate rhythm. Deep.

"Ah ah," he tutted, "not yet. You're not allowed."

"Roxy!" I hissed my frustration. "Let—let me—"

"Tell me you'll help me."

I gasped. "Fucking hell! Of course. I'll do it!"

The rhythm changed, punctuated by a grunt, and his hand moved, pumped out my release.

Later, once we'd caught our breath again, I pressed a hand to my face. "I'm a dead man."

Roxas's expression was even. "Only if you fail. I don't think you will."

I shot him a withering look. "Just in case. We should do it again. I'd like to die happy, yeah?"


	34. Sneaking about

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr NSFW prompt: "Shh, someone's gonna hear..." LeaKu for key-baes

Riku wasn't sure what Lea was doing at the copier when he turned the corner into the otherwise-empty file room. It certainly wasn't copying, because DiZ had mandated that their department use paperless methods when possible, and Lea's job didn't entail projects needing physical paper copies. At least, Riku was pretty sure it didn't.

Riku tucked a folder under his arm, clearing his throat. "What are you doing?"

Surprised green eyes turned to Riku. A smile settled in Lea's lips when he realized who it was. "Nothing."

Riku gave a long-suffering sigh. "Knowing you, it's probably not _nothing_ , Lea."

Lea winked at Riku. "Alright, I'll tell you if you make my coffee. You make it best."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Fine." Lea grinned, already moving towards the break room. "Hey, Lea! I still have to return this." He waved the folder in the air. "You going to wait for me, or what?"

"Anything for you, babe." A sly grin.

Riku snorted as he tugged out a file drawer and dropped the folder back where he'd found it. Lea followed him like a lanky, overgrown puppy to the break room. Eager for a Riku coffee. "So," Riku prompted, "what were you up to?"

Lea leaned close to Riku, voice low, conspiring. "A harmless prank, I promise. Just a little…adjustment. To the contents of the supply closet."

Riku lifted an eyebrow. "What kind of adjustment?"

"Well, everyone here is just so short, so I thought it might be interesting if everything was on the top shelves." He gave a self-satisfied grin.

"You did what?" Riku sputtered.

"Shh, someone's gonna hear!" Lea hissed.

Riku narrowed his eyes. "Lea."

"I put the step-stool nearby!" And Riku knew that was probably the case, because even if Lea liked to have a bit of fun, he wasn't _mean_.

"Still." Riku poured coffee for them. Lea's coffee as much cream as it was coffee, and just a little sugar—he'd gotten it memorized some time ago.

"Mmm." Lea accepted the coffee, and thanked him with a kiss. They were quiet for a moment, sipping at their drinks.

"Lea."

Lea glanced up. "Hm?"

Riku had set his coffee down, and was advancing on him. He set his hands on Lea's hips. "You're not the only one feeling a little mischievous." A smile tugged at his lips, his eyes growing dark as his hands explored the curve of Lea's sides, then back down, lower, until he his hands rested on the curve of Lea's ass.

Lea was blushing as Riku leaned forward to initiate another kiss, this one more than just the affectionate peck Lea'd offered. Their tongues slid together, the kiss bitter with coffee, mouths open and breaths accelerating.

Lea sucked in a breath when Riku's hands moved to the front of his pants, making quick work of the belt, button, and zipper. " _Riku!_ _"_

Riku was already sinking down to his knees, a smirk on his lips. "'Shh, someone's gonna hear,'" he echoed.

Lea bit down on his lip, hard, when Riku went down on him. His body was thrilling, hyper-aware of their surroundings, but also of Riku's mouth, hot and wet and firm around his cock. His breath stuttered as Riku pulled back to tease him with his tongue. Licked a line from base to tip, and then swallowed him down again.

The sound of footsteps in the hall made Lea tense, at about the same time Riku's hand snaked around behind him, a spit-slick finger pushing into him. It was enough to send him over the edge, breaths coming out ragged.

Riku stood up, licking his lips, eyes sparkling with mirth.

Lea attempted, and failed, to glare at him as he hurried to set his pants back in order and catch his breath.

Riku was already innocently sipping from his coffee again when Sora walked in, heading to the coffee pot. "Hey Sor."

"Hey Riku." He glanced at Lea. "Everything okay Lea? You look a little flushed."

Riku suppressed a laugh. "He's not feeling too well. We came in here to get him some water." Lea nodded his concurrence and hoped that Sora would buy it.

He seemed to, because he nodded, poured his coffee, and then left with it. Lea let out a sigh of relief, and then rounded on Riku.

"I _owe you for that_." Green eyes glittered, intent on Riku.

Riku smirked. "I look forward to it."


	35. Soothing Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr NSFW prompt, "Is it okay if I touch you there?" SoRiku from laurentheweirdo. Uh, it was meant to be a drabble, but came out a bit longer, lol. But I don't feel like creating a new doc for it, so, *tosses it in the pile*

Riku had tried to distance himself from Sora.  Really, he had.  It was a distance he felt sharply, Sora the bright hero, his childhood best friend, that he’d let himself be turned against.  There wasn’t a day that went by, not a minute, when he didn’t think about the mistakes he’d made.  
  
But, he realized, he’d started to move past them.  Started to rebuild himself, to repair the damage he’d done back then.  
  
Still, he wasn’t sure he deserved Sora’s unconditional friendship, his forgiveness.  So he tried to stay away.  
  
Of course, he didn’t have a say in it when Sora called in the middle of the night, or showed up on his doorstep in the early mornings.  He didn’t have it in him to refuse Sora anything.  And that was how Riku ended up being dragged along to the old play island one foggy morning.  It wasn’t far, and the sea was calm, so that they were able to navigate the waters without much trouble, tying the little boat to the dock before ditching their shoes to dig bare feet in the sand.  
  
Sora was the one to challenge him to a race, across the beach, pushing through the door to the run-down shack, up the stairs, and across the bridge to the paopu tree that leaned over the water.  Riku’s height gave him a slight advantage, and he slid to a halt a few seconds before Sora crashed into him, toppling them into a breathless heap on the ground.  
  
“Sora!”  
  
Sora gave him a brilliant smile, only a few inches from his own face.  “Rikuuuu!”  
  
When he saw Sora’s smile, he couldn’t help but smile back.  “Get off, you’re heavy.”  It had no bite to it, the way it might’ve a few short years ago.  
  
Sora chuckled and sprang to his feet.  “Am not.”  He held his hand out to help Riku up.  “It’s in fruit.”  Sora pointed at the star-shaped fruit hanging over the water, a hint of…what?  Wistfulness, in his voice?  
  
The paopu fruit was only just turning yellow at its tips, the center a pale green.  “It’s not ripe yet,” Riku murmured.  
  
Sora nodded.  “Hey Riku?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Let’s go to the Secret Place.”  Riku glanced over at Sora, who was still staring at the yellowing fruit.  His voice had softened, and Riku tried not to frown.  Instead, he opened his mouth to reply, only to close it again when Sora added, “I want to make new memories there, you know?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
He let Sora lead the way back over the bridge, their pace slow.  Even though they’d crossed to get to the paopu island, it had been quick, not enough time to saver the smooth wood under their feet.  It was already warm from the sun, the fog burned away since they’d set out.  Then the relative cool of the darkened shack.  Sand between their toes.  
  
Riku tried to focus on anything except where they were going.  
  
Vines had grown over part of the entrance since they’d last been here, years ago, and it took some effort to pull them away.  Riku remembered, when they were small, how much easier it had been to just slip through the gap, between the vines.  Back when things had been simpler.  
  
But now was okay, too, he decided.  Sora was right about making new memories.  
  
It was anti climatic, when they were finally inside.  Mundane, even, aside from the faded drawings on the cave’s walls.  Riku watched Sora turn in a circle in the center.  Swung his own eyes over the bare patch of wall where the Door to the Darkness had once opened.  
  
“You know.”  Riku’s attention turned back to Sora, who’d stopped abruptly, biting his lip.  
  
“Sora?”  He put his hand on Sora’s arm, gently prompting him.  
  
“You know,” Sora said again, “I know this might come as a surprise, given all that’s happened, but I don’t regret it.  I’m glad.  I’ve learned a lot.”  
  
“Sora…”  
  
“One thing I learned,” Sora continued, “was how much you care for your friends.”  
  
Riku closed his eyes, breathing deep.  “Sora, stop.  You don’t need to say this.”  
  
“You got hurt protecting me,” Sora whispered.  Riku opened his eyes to see Sora’s hand hovering over his chest.  “Did it scar?”  Because, Riku realized, he hadn’t bared his chest since then.  At least, not when anyone could see.  
  
“Yeah.  Don’t worry about it.  It’s fine.”  
  
“Can I see?”  Riku hesitated a moment before shucking his shirt.  Sora’s gaze focused on the pink mark that remained from Xemnas’s blade.  He studied it quietly, and then, “Is it okay if I touch you there?”  
  
Riku knew his heartbeat was beginning to race as he nodded.  Could practically hear it pounding in his ears as Sora’s fingertips tentatively traced the outline of the scar.  Felt himself shaking.  “Sora, I’m sorry.”  It came out in an exhale, fast, quiet, but there.  
  
Sora’s eyes snapped up to his, lips in a pout.  “No, I’m sorry.”  His hand withdrew.  “I meant to make good memories, not bring up old ones.”  His brows drew together in thought.  “I wanted to—shit, forget it Riku.  I just want to kiss you!”  
  
Riku’s eyes widened as Sora followed through, rising on his toes to press their lips together.  He held his hands uncertainly at his sides at first, but the heat behind Sora’s lips encouraged him.  He kissed back, fierce, let his hands fist in Sora’s shirt as Sora wrapped his arms around him.  
  
Their breaths stuttered as they drew apart, eyes dark.  Riku was startled when Sora disengaged from his grip, but it was only to pull his own shirt off, before he closed the distance between them again.  Sora steered Riku so that he was pinned between a wall—the doorway, he thought distractedly—and Sora’s own compact body.  
  
Sora was strong.  He’d always known, but he felt it as Sora pinned him, pressed against him.  It tore a moan from his throat when he realized what was pressed against him.  
  
“Sora,” he gasped, letting his head fall back against the wall.  Sora had moved to pressing open-mouthed kisses against his neck, traveling down.  Down.  Placed a kiss over Riku’s scar.  
  
Sora’s hand hesitated again, this time at the fly of his jeans.  “Is it okay if I touch you here?”  His voice had deepened, and Riku bit his lip to stop his own voice from spilling out.  He nodded his assent instead.  
  
Sora pressed a finger against Riku’s mouth, easing it open to release his lip, and the whimper that slipped out on its heels.  Replaced his finger with another kiss, so that both hands could work Riku’s pants open.  Riku hissed when Sora’s hand slipped under the fabric, caressing the hot flesh he found there.  
  
Sora’s breath stuttered against Riku’s lips.  “Riku,” kiss, “Riku.  God, you’re so hard.”  
  
Riku could only groan in response, couldn’t bring himself to form any kind of coherent reply with Sora’s hand curled around his arousal.  Could only clench his fists to stop himself from clutching Sora tight enough to hurt.  
  
Sora’s other hand found his lips again, and this time Riku sucked his fingers in eagerly, losing himself to sensation.  The tip of Sora’s tongue on the shiny skin of his scar.  “Thank you,” murmured against him.  The involuntary buck of Sora’s hips knocking against him.  Or maybe not so involuntary, Sora fumbling to undo his own pants one-handed, and Riku finally unclenched a fist to help him.  Shaking.  Sora’s voice low between breaths.  “Me too, Riku, I’m hard.”  
  
They both gasped when Sora pressed his own erection against Riku’s, hand cupping them both.  
  
“Riku.”  Sora’s lips were on Riku’s again, his hand stroking them together.  “I’ve wanted you,” pant, “since you came back.”  Sora’s forehead falling to Riku’s shoulder, Riku’s head dropping against the wall behind him.  “So beautiful.”  
  
Riku’s fingernails were digging into his own palms, hips twitching as Sora drew them close, closer to release.  
  
“S-Sora!”  The name spilled breathy from his lips when he tripped over the edge, pulsing in Sora’s hand, Sora right there with him, groaning Riku’s name.  Gasping to catch their breath, inhaling the scent of each other.  
  
Riku wrapped his arms around Sora and pulled him into a fierce kiss; Sora squeezed him tight, then pulled back.  Tapped the wall behind Riku, where the door had been.  “Don’t leave me again, Riku.”  Blue eyes wide, intense.  “Promise me.”  
  
Riku pressed his forehead to Sora’s, nodding. “Okay.”  Because he couldn’t deny Sora anything.  
  
Sora’s hands pressed against his waist, kneaded his bare hips.  “When it’s ripe, will you share the paopu with me?”  The question was hesitant, a contrast to how certain Sora had been just moments before.  
  
Riku pressed a kiss to Sora’s forehead, eyes fluttering closed.  “Of course.”  And though he felt the door at his back, he knew he wouldn’t go through it again without Sora.  Without their bond stronger than ever.


	36. En Pointe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku, ballet AU. FLUFF. This fic is my half of an art trade with my beloved [princess-wasabi](http://princess-wasabi.tumblr.com). Please check out her art, it's gorgeous!

Axel shifted his grip on his umbrella as he paused to look at the ad covering the bus shelter. He took a long draw from his cigarette, studying the young man in the ad. He was lean and compact, the shape of his muscles defined under tights, his body flexed and composed of curves and lines. One arm arched gracefully above his head, the other extended outward, to balance the deep bend of the opposite knee.

His eyes were shuttered in concentration, but Axel knew they would be blue when they fluttered open. He knew the texture of the blond hair, a little sticky from hair gel, but soft.

Axel exhaled, watching the wind catch the smoke and blow it away, before turning back to his path. Another block, and he turned the corner, then up the path to the apartment building. He shook his umbrella out at the door and trudged up a set of narrow stairs, unlocked the first door at the top of them, toeing his shoes off and leaving the umbrella to one side.

The apartment was quiet, but there was a low light coming from further in. Axel didn't bother turning on the overhead light as he pulled two bottles of water from the fridge and made his way into the sitting room.

Roxas was draped over the couch, an arm thrown over his face. Axel glanced at the duffel resting on the floor beside him, a pair of black ballet slippers sitting neatly on top, then back at Roxas's bare feet, propped on the arm of the couch. They were still wrapped in athletic tape, the visible tips of his toes red and sore.

Axel sighed and leaned down, brushing blond hair back to press a kiss to his forehead.

Roxas stirred, shifting his arm just enough to focus one bleary blue eye on Axel. "You're home." His voice came out slurred with sleep.

Axel carded a hand through Roxas's hair, eliciting a sigh. "I saw the poster for your show."

"Remind me never to do something like that again. It took forever to get the _perfect shot._ " This time the sigh he let out was more of a frustrated huff.

"It _is_ perfect."

"Whatever." He scowled a little, and swung halfheartedly at Axel.

"How are your feet?"

"How they look. Awful."

Axel straightened, chuckling, and pressed one of the water bottles against Roxas's bare arm. He groaned and grabbed at it, opening the pop-top with his teeth, and gulped it down. Axel deposited the other one on the coffee table and returned to the kitchen, grabbing a hand towel and filling a large bowl with warm, soapy water, and a clean rag, which he placed next to his water bottle.

Axel moved to the other end of the couch and put a hand on Roxas's legs. "Up." Roxas complied, lifting his legs to make room for Axel, and then settling them in his lap. Axel ran a hand over one bandaged foot, watching for Roxas's reaction to find the worst spots, before he started peeling away the tape.

"They don't look _awful_. Just painful. Your feet are lovely." The tape off of the first foot, Axel leaned forward to retrieve the towel, tucked it under the Roxas's feet, and then wrung out the rag. Roxas let out a groan when the warmth touched his foot, excess water trickling down.

"That sounded really gay." He crossed his arms.

Axel paused in his ministrations, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize we are literal gay men, right?"

"Speak for yourself—hey!" He squeaked when Axel pinched his thigh.

"Next time I won't be so forgiving." He squeezed Roxas's foot, gently, to illustrate his point.

"Fine." He was stared up at the ceiling, sulking.

A silence descended between them, comfortable, Roxas relaxing little by little as Axel peeled the tape off and washed his other foot. There was another rustle of movement when Axel reached into the duffel on the floor, shuffling around in it and coming up with a jar of foot cream. Roxas hissed when the cold stuff came in contact with his feet, but it turned into a moan of appreciation as Axel massaged it into his feet, a double assault of the sweet scent of the lotion and the pleasure of his aches being expertly worked out.

When he was done with Roxas's feet, his hands moved up Roxas's calves, giving them a more cursory massage, and then pressed a kiss to the bottom of each foot.

"That's the wrong end," Roxas mumbled, his voice soft.

"Hm?"

"I'm up here."

Axel's lips quirked into a smile. "Thought you weren't a gay man."

There was a pause. "Nope. I'm bi."

"Fair enough." He shifted Roxas's legs, the towel falling to the floor, then rearranged his own limbs until he was kneeling, straddling Roxas's hips, and their faces were even.

Blue eyes looked up at him, and Axel felt his breath leave him, the way it always did whenever he looked into Roxas's eyes. "Hey."

"Hey." Axel felt Roxas's breath on his cheek, and then they were kissing, their mouths sliding together effortlessly, tongues curling against each other. Roxas's hands were on Axel's back, slipping under his shirt, tracing slow, languid lines against his skin.

At some point, Axel shifted again, scooping Roxas up bridal-style and carrying him to bed—despite Roxas's protests at the arrangement, Axel pointed out that he didn't want to undo his hard work relaxing Roxas's feet—and there they continued where they left off, slow and deliberate, clothes finding the floor. Hands and mouths finding sensitive spots, and then some, until they were both sated. They fell asleep, limbs entwined and peaceful.

With visions of Sugar Plum Fairies dancing in their heads.


	37. Tempus Fugit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, I had an anon on tumblr request "angsty akuroku." So here we are. This was heavily inspired by [nijuukoo's drawing "Forgiveness" from AkuRoku month 2k15](http://nijuukoo.tumblr.com/post/126276857609/813-month-day-9-forgiveness-word-from)...she had written her own drabble for it, but I took the image in a different direction for this. STILL, if you haven't seen her art, you should totally check her out!

Roxas replaced the phone in its cradle carefully, taking a deep breath. His exhale was shaky, and he stared at the phone, remembering Axel's protests when he'd plugged the phone into the wall, because really, who needed a land line these days, when everyone had cell phones? Roxas pulled the iPhone out of his pocket and placed it next to the hulking plastic shape of the telephone, giving both one last glance before he turned and walked into the bedroom, steps mechanical.

His eyes were open, but he barely saw the suitcase he pulled from the closet, or the clothes he tossed into it. Couldn't feel the cut that split his finger as he pulled up a floorboard, to retrieve the backpack hidden there, until he saw the blood welling, and even then he couldn't be bothered to do more than stick the injured digit in his mouth.

He was shaking, he realized. It was a fine tremor that he didn't notice until he pulled his wallet from his pocket, and couldn't resist flipping it open to gaze at the worn photo there. His face felt hot, his eyes prickling and throat tight as his eyes rested on the glossy replicas of him and Axel. He traced the curve of Axel's face with a fingertip. That was all he allowed himself, before snapping the wallet closed again and setting it next to his phone.

Fifteen minutes, the man on the phone had said.

Roxas pulled his boots on and moved to sit on one of the stools at the breakfast bar, suitcase at his side, backpack already slung over both shoulders, waiting. If he was lucky, the second call would come before Axel returned from work, and his extraction would be smooth, painless.

As painless as it could be, being ripped away from the life he'd created these past few years. He'd had to build it from the ground up, had to change his appearance, his name, everything. It hadn't been easy, and he'd been lonely. Too afraid, at first, to form new connections. And this was why.

He was about to do it again, all over again.

He tried to breath past the lump in his throat, tried to ignore the queasy feeling of his stomach. He could do it. If he didn't, it wasn't just his life that would be at risk. It would be Axel's, too.

He wasn't surprised when he heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway, halting at the door, and then the jangle of keys. The sound of the lock disengaging. Still, he tensed, eyes still fixed on the floor. Of course he wouldn't be lucky. The phone call had already shown him that much.

"Hey babe." Roxas bit his lip at the sound of that voice, warm and deep and familiar. The voice paused, Axel's eyes probably lighting on the suitcase, the backpack. Roxas's hunched posture. Then, hesitant, questioning: "Roxas?"

Roxas's tongue felt heavy in his mouth, so he let it dart out, wet his lips. Still, he couldn't summon the words to say. What could he say.

More panicked now, "Roxas? What's the matter, did something happen?" The thump of Axel's satchel dropping to the floor, the handful of steps crossing the space between them, and then Roxas was staring at slim legs wrapped in denim. "Roxas, talk to me. Look at me."

Roxas felt his teeth clench, suppressing the desolate noise that was guaranteed to come out if he opened his mouth. Shook his head slightly.

The denim legs bent at the knees, and then Roxas's view was of Axel's face. Pale skin. Green eyes, filled with concern. Purple tattoos like inverted teardrops. He had to ball his hands into fists to stop himself from touching. "I have to go." It came out in a whisper, all that he could manage around the lump in his throat.

He saw Axel process this, saw him glance at the unfamiliar backpack, the phone and wallet sitting abandoned on the counter. "Go where? For how long?"

Roxas squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the burning, hot feeling building there, but instead he only succeeded in allowing the first tear to trickle down his face. He shook his head again, drew in a slow, measured breath.

"Roxas." Warm hands, with long, slender fingers, closed around Roxas's wrists, and he tensed in Axel's grip. "Roxas, you're…you're not leaving me. Are you?"

Roxas's eyes reopened, wide, the tears spilling down his cheeks, to land on his thighs. What was he supposed to say? He didn't have an explanation. He had never prepared one. Had never planned to see the stricken look on Axel's face right now.

The sound of the phone ringing—the land line—cut across the thick silence. Axel stared at the phone, the one he'd never heard ring before, not once, his hands still wrapped around Roxas's wrists, brows drawn down.

"I have to answer it," Roxas murmured, pulling out of Axel's grasp. He had to fight, found he didn't have the strength, and instead had to let out his voice again. "Let go." It was a hollow, empty sound, now, and he couldn't bring himself to say Axel's name. The phone rang again, three more rings, before Axel reluctantly released him. The phone was cold in his hand. "Hello." Roxas listened to the voice on the other end, the description of the vehicle waiting for him, that would be pulling up in a moment. That he would receive further information from his driver. Offered his own acknowledgment of "Understood," and then replaced the receiver once more. For the last time.

Axel was still watching him. There was a desperation in his eyes now, understanding having dawned on him that Roxas was leaving, with only a backpack and a small suitcase, and his cell phone still discarded on the counter. "Who was that?" Roxas closed his hand on the handle of his suitcase, and took a deep breath. "Roxas!" Axel's voice was rising, almost shouting.

"I have to go." He turned to the door.

"Roxas, wait!"

"I can't." He kept his voice low, because if he didn't, he'd be yelling, screaming, crying. Shook off Axel's hand when he tried to grab him again, to stop him from leaving.

"Roxas!"

Roxas took another breath, and focused on his directive. Forced himself to turn Axel's protests into white noise as he walked down the hallway, one step at a time. Forced himself to ignore the man at his back, trying everything in his power to make him stay.

It was for Axel's protection, as much as his own. That's what he kept telling himself, to keep his feet pointed in the right direction. It wasn't until he'd been ushered into the black sedan, a man in a black suit preventing Axel from following, until after the door was closed, that he allowed himself one last look at the man he loved.

"Roxas, don't go! Please! Please don't go!" His voice was muffled through the car door, but Roxas could still see his face clearly enough to see the tear tracks on his cheeks, mocked by the purple tattoos there.

As the car pulled away, Roxas curled into himself, finally allowing himself to come undone, voice spilling out in a heartbroken wail. He tried to bury his face in his arms, but the black hoodie he wore was Axel's, had his scent, and he felt himself crumble.

"We can make you forget."

Roxas looked up through his tears. He hadn't noticed the petite blond woman sitting in the seat opposite him. She offered a small, serene smile.

Roxas contemplated the ache in his chest as he looked at her. Wondered if he could do it again, the starting over, the new life, with thoughts of Axel lingering.

His voice came out thick. "What do I have to do?"


	38. Cottontail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt from Roksva/savaage-nymph: "I can't believe you talked me into this" RiKai. Implied SoRiKai (OT3) and cross-dressing.

“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”  Riku smoothed a hand over the black fabric covering his abdomen, then shifted from foot to foot.  
  
Kairi raised an eyebrow at him, a small smirk tugging at her lips.  “What, feeling uncomfortable?”  
  
Riku gave her A Look.  “I’m practically naked,” he muttered.  He pulled at the top of the costume, certain that it would fall without straps or sleeves to hold it up.  
  
“You know,” Kairi began, “there’s an old movie I watched a few times, with a scene that takes place on an old-timey radio show.  It goes, ‘You’re never fully dressed without a smile.’”  At that, she grinned.  “So try it!”  
  
Riku scowled instead as Kairi moved around behind him, fixing the last piece of his costume in place.  
  
“Anyway, how do you think I feel?”  
  
“This is a women’s costume,” Riku huffed.  
  
“Oh stop!”  Kairi fluffed the poof of a bunny tail she’d fastened to the back of Riku’s costume, and gave his bottom a playful tap.  “You look hot.”  She grabbed his arm and pulled him to the full-length mirror hanging in the hall.  “See?”  
  
Riku saw, and it made the blush on his cheeks deepen.  
  
He wore a black Playboy bunny outfit, form-fitting and shiny satin, with a pair of fishnet tights that emphasized the curve of his muscles.  He tugged at the collar with its black bow-tie, superfluous without a shirt attached to it or the cuffs, but Kairi had insisted on the whole shebang.  Including the black bunny ears atop his head, and the white poof of a tail at the base of his spine.  Kairi sported a similar outfit as she appraised the pair of reflections in the mirror, arms akimbo.  Riku was more than certain that she pulled the look off better.  
  
“Rikuuuu,” Kairi chided.  “Smile.”  
  
Riku pursed his lips at his reflection.  
  
“Hey.”  A hand on his arm drew his attention away from the mirror and down to Kairi, who stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.  “You look good.”  She shook her hips a bit.  “What about me?”  She beamed up at him.  
  
That earned her a smile, at last, and a peck on the cheek.  “You look perfect.”  And she did, the outfit complementing her small, curvy figure, the black heels making her legs look longer, the line of her calves taut.  He pulled her in closer, relishing the feel of her soft warmth against him.  
  
Kairi tugged him down and turned her head to capture his lips with her own.  “Sora is going to have a fit when he sees us,” she giggled, once they’d parted again.  
  
Riku’s lips quirked up into a mischievous grin.  Oh, yes.  He couldn’t wait to see the look on Sora’s face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by the lovely drawings of Riku in a Playboy bunny outfit that [savaage-nymph](http://savaage-nymph.tumblr.com) did for my birtday, by request. Thank you, love! *heart*


	39. Quattro Formaggi and Kraft Mac n Cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt from nicayal: I wish you would write a fic where... Axel is a major foodie and Roxas is the pickiest eater on the planet and has the palate of a grade schooler. Anything even remotely exotic or "ethnic" is a big fat no for Roxas; he'll take blue box mac 'n' cheese over some gourmet, bullshit quattro formaggi any day of the week. Axel's determined to change that, if only he can figure out how to make Roxas see the error of his uncultured ways. Bonus points for making it sexy.

"Roxas, what—what is that?" Axel was staring at the blue cup Roxas was pulling from the microwave.

Roxas raised an eyebrow. "Lunch. What does it look like?"

Axel raised a hand to his heart dramatically. " _Lunch?_ Rox, that is, that's—" he sputtered, inarticulate for a moment, and then, "Please tell me it's emergency rations."

Roxas scowled down at his instant mac 'n cheese. "What's wrong with it?"

"Roxas." Axel draped a conspiratorial arm over the shorter man's shoulders. "That is nowhere _near_ an acceptable choice for lunch. A poor excuse for noodles, drenched in an even poorer excuse for 'cheese sauce,'" he even curled his fingers in air quotes, "how can you subject yourself to that?"

Roxas's eyes slid to the side to regard Axel. "It just so happens that I _like_ it."

Axel gaped, blinking, as Roxas shuffled back to the couch with his cup of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Roxas glanced up from the TV, forkful of pasta halfway to his mouth, to see Axel still standing in the kitchen. He replaced the fork. "If it bothers you that much, I can add some protein." He unfolded his legs and crossed back into the kitchen, stepping around Axel to open the fridge. "I'm pretty sure I have some hot dogs left." A quick search revealed that he did, indeed, have a half-used package of hot dogs, and he placed one of those in the microwave next.

Axel watched, speechless, as Roxas cut it into slices and tipped them right in with the mac n cheese.

"Spaghetti Bolognese," Roxas announced, mixing the hot dog bits in.

Axel felt himself pale as Roxas took a bite of the concoction. He couldn't even begin to describe everything wrong with the food, with calling it—calling it— "Roxas—"

"Come on, Ax, time to get your ass beat at Smash."

Axel let out a small huff and dropped onto the couch beside Roxas, picking up the controller. "Pretty sure you've got it backwards, Roxas."

It became clear to Axel, after a few more visits at his new friend's apartment, that Roxas had no taste. Or rather, if he did have taste, it was that of a grade-schooler. Blue boxes of Kraft mac n cheese, Spaghetti-O's, hot dogs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Axel tried not to be offended, after all, not everyone liked trying foods outside their comfort zone, but. But.

He just couldn't sit there and watch Roxas stir butter and milk and yellow powder into noodles and call it mac n cheese.

"Roxas."

Roxas looked up from the pot he was stirring. "Hm?"

"Can I take you to dinner sometime? Please?"

It took Axel a moment to realize why Roxas might be blushing at the question, and Axel, in turn, felt his own face heating up. He was about to wave his hands and protest that he hadn't meant it _like that,_ when Roxas turned his gaze back to his pot and uttered a soft "Okay."

His hands, already on their way up to protest, instead kept going, until he was tugging at a lock of red hair, awkward. He hadn't meant to ask Roxas on a _date_ , but seeing Roxas's pursed lips and rosy cheeks, he knew he couldn't take it back. And suddenly didn't want to. He didn't know what to do with his hands after that, and so he shoved them in his pockets, rocking from side to side as Roxas poured yellow macaroni into a bowl. "I know a place that makes a wicked quattro formaggi." His voice came out uncertain, this time, and he bit his lip.

Roxas turned to him, raising eyebrows. "Quattro what?"

Axel nodded to the bowl in Roxas's hands. "It's a…cheesy pasta dish that'll make you forget all about Kraft."

"Sounds fancy." They settled back in front of the TV, and there was an unusual tension between them. He wondered if maybe he just hadn't noticed it before, or if it was new.

Roxas dressed up for their date. A blue button-down that brought out his eyes, black slacks. His hair immaculately styled. Axel's all-black attire wasn't much different from his usual, except for the blazer he tossed over it. The restaurant he'd picked warranted it. It had nothing to do with this being a date, with Roxas, and he was certainly not nervous. He just kept noticing wrinkles in the blazer.

Roxas scowled down at the quattro formaggi. "What is that?"

Axel looked at the plate. "Mushrooms. And parsley."

"What's it doing in my pasta?" He pushed some mushrooms to the side of the plate with his fork.

Axel frowned. "You don't like mushrooms?"

Roxas gave him a flat stare. "No."

Axel bit his lip. "Uh. Well, at least give it a try?"

Roxas huffed a sigh, obliged, twirling his fork until there was a sufficient amount of angel hair pasta on it, and brought the fork to his mouth. Axel leaned forward to watch, licking his lips unconsciously.

"Well?"

"It's okay, I guess." Roxas shrugged. "Too many different flavors, though."

Axel blinked. That had never been a complaint, for him, but the way Roxas said it made it obvious that it was. "Want to try some of mine?" He held up a forkful of his veal scallopini; Roxas made a face, and Axel frowned.

"No thank you, I'll stick to this." He went back to pushing the mushrooms to the side of the plate.

Axel winced internally; it was awkward as a date, and even worse, Roxas had practically rejected the restaurant he'd chosen.

So it was a surprise, when he pulled his car up to Roxas's complex, and Roxas cocked his head at him. "Aren't you going to walk me to the door?"

"Oh. I—uh-do you want me to?" He felt his face heating up as he fumbled to say the right thing. "But, you're not. You know. A girl?"

Roxas's lips curled up into a smirk. "I'm glad you noticed that much."

Axel bit his lip. "Uh. Uhm." He turned the car off. "Yeah. I can walk you up."

Axel toyed with the hem of his blazer as he strode up the walk, Roxas at his side. Nearly jumped when they reached the door, and Roxas murmured his name, "Axel. Thank you." Felt his breath catch in his throat when Roxas stood on his toes and pulled him down for a kiss. Silky, hot lips on his own, and his thrumming nerves calmed as he focused on Roxas, on the wet tongue already pressing into his mouth to deepen the kiss.

Axel had to catch his breath when they parted, and his pants felt more snug than they had a few moments ago. Roxas was looking up at him with darkened eyes, expectant. He hadn't invited Axel up, so he supposed Roxas was simply waiting for a good bye. Instead, he let out a muttered, "Maybe we should try Thai food next time."

Roxas laughed, and leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek. "Good night, Axel."

Axel eyed him, wondering if that had been an evasion or an agreement. He shrugged. "Good night, Rox." And just before the door closed on Roxas, he called back, "I'll make you appreciate proper cuisine yet!"


	40. Vermilion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written as a gift to nijuuni. I wanted to take her crack ship for a test drive. AkuNo.

Axel was pouring a cup of coffee, half-smoked cigarette hanging from his mouth, when there was a knock on his door.  His already-low mood plummeted.  
  
Most days, Axel had no problems with the occasional unannounced visitor.  In fact, he usually welcomed social calls from his friends, and would greet them at the door with a smile.  _Most days_ , Axel hadn’t just woken up after a night of hard drinking, with a pounding headache and a queasy stomach.  The cigarette had taken the edge of the nausea, and the coffee was the first of several steps in quelling the headache, but he hadn’t gotten much farther.  He hadn’t even managed to get dressed yet, and when another knock sounded at the door, he let out a low curse and decided that, whoever it was would just have to deal with seeing his bony ass in his drawers.  
  
“Coming!”  Axel’s voice was hoarse around his cigarette.  He wiped a hand over his face, fairly certain it would do nothing, and not caring.  He just wanted the knocking to stop.  
  
He fumbled with his lock for a moment, registered that the deadbolt wasn’t locked—he must’ve forgotten it in his drunken haze—and pulled the door open.  
  
Admittedly, his synapses were running on a lag with his hangover, so for a moment all he did was stare at the person standing on the other side of his door.  
  
“And here I thought I was the only one that could pull of that shade of red so well.”  The man smiled, an expression that turned his already sharp features into something approaching vulpine.  
  
“Huh.”  Axel blinked some of the haze away as he took in the raucous red hair of the stranger.  Blue eyes framed by a slash of ink on either cheek.  “Who the hell are you?”  
  
“Reno,” and with his name, he offered a hand.  “Your new neighbor.”  
  
Axel stuck his own hand out to shake the offered one.  “Reno.  Right.  Okay.  What do you want?”  Axel had a moment, realizing he was still only wearing yesterday’s boxers, and that his hair was a disheveled mess, and resisted the urge to run a hand through it to straighten it.  It would be futile, anyway.  
  
“Just wanted to introduce myself, y’know?  Uhm, did I catch you at a bad time?”  Axel didn’t know this Reno yet, but he had a feeling that the little up-tilt of his lips was a smirk, amusement at his expense.  
  
“Yeah, no, it’s fine.”  Axel gestured with his nearly-spent cigarette and tried not to frown.  “I just woke up, see?”  He jerked a thumb back to indicate the interior of his apartment.  “Coffee just finished.”  
  
Reno’s smirk widened into a grin.  “Then I’d better leave you to it, eh?”  
  
Axel let out an inarticulate grunt, maybe an agreement, maybe a dismissal.  He wasn’t quite sure himself, still trying to catch up to the moment and taking in Reno’s tall figure.  Let his eyes rest on the sliver of chest visible through Reno’s half-buttoned shirt.  
  
Reno’s voice pulled him away from the glean of sweat on pale skin.  “If you’re free tonight, you could come over for a beer.”  He crossed his arms, and yeah, Axel was pretty sure the man looked pleased with himself.  “I live right across the hall.”  
  
Axel groaned at the thought of beer.  At the moment, he was pretty sure he was willing to swear off alcohol for at least the next year.  Or maybe a month.  Then again, he’d had similar thoughts before, only to go out the very same night and do it all over again, so he decided not to refuse just yet.  “Mm.  Beer.  Yeah.”  
  
Reno’s bray of a laugh was harsh in Axel’s ears.  “Catch you later, then?  Just knock, yeah?”  
  
Axel nodded, a movement that he instantly regretted, and returned the wave Reno sent him before disappearing behind his own door.  
  
He was thankful, at least, for the dim lighting of the hallway.  
  
Axel resumed his morning-after ritual, more determined than ever to rid himself of the hangover.  
  
Later that evening, when he crossed the hall to Reno’s apartment, his neighbor greeted him with another smirk,  his shirt fully unbuttoned this time, and Axel had some thoughts that were less than pure.  
  
And as the night wore on and they sat shooting the shit, an easy camaraderie already growing between them, Axel’s thoughts turned even more impure.  
  
“So do you always greet people at the door in your briefs?”  Reno’s voice was thick with alcohol, his grin wide and teasing.  
  
“Naw.  Why, would you be jealous?”  It was easy to pick up a bantering tone with his new friend, to smile along with him, and maybe hint at some of his less-than-pure thoughts while he was at it.  
  
Reno slung an arm over Axel’s shoulders.  “And what if I was?”  They were near enough that Axel could smell the beer on his breath.  
  
Axel took in the glint in Reno’s eye, lips quirking into a slanted smile.  “Then I’d say you should give me a reason to focus my attention only on you.”  
  
There was a flash of teeth, something predatory, before their lips crashed together.  The alcohol dulled the heat a little, made the kiss sloppy, but that made it more interesting, made something that might’ve been a flash of fire into a slower burn.  
  
Axel spared half a thought about whether he might regret it later, going at it with a newly arrived neighbor, and then flung the notion aside without a care.  He’d always been one for living in the moment.  
  
He didn’t have a hangover when he woke up the next time, and with a clearer head, he mused over the fact that, yes, Reno’s hair was almost the same shade of red as his own, and yes, he did pull it off well.


	41. When the Rain Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to [key-baes](http://archiveofourown.org/users/key_baes/pseuds/key_baes)! It's a little late, but here's some sweet LeaKu just for you!

Lea had never been fond of storms.

When he was younger, before everything happened, he would sit at the window looking out into the courtyard, wishing he could go outside and practice, maybe spar with Isa, or go exploring the alleys of Radiant Garden. Then later, as a Nobody, well, it went without saying that rain wasn’t his element, and he developed a strong distaste for lightning after a run-in with Larxene.

He was himself again, a little less fiery, perhaps, but he was no longer Axel, so the damp didn’t bother him quite as much. But that didn’t mean he liked the clammy feeling of humidity, or the clap of thunder on a rainy day.

He liked it less when he looked at Riku.

They were still young, both of them, but when it rained, Riku looked older. Or perhaps younger, Lea thought, though maybe he could somehow look both at the same time. When he looked out into the downpour, and his eyes reflected his past, some good, but a lot of bad, and he looked weary. Or he looked like a child, adrift with no direction, no one to show him what to do. From what Lea had gathered, his parents were distant. And Yen Sid…was only interested in the mission.

He was doing it now, Riku. Staring out at the raindrops pelting the ground, his eyes distant.

Lea let out a small sigh and approached him at an angle, so Riku could see him coming. None of them were keen being surprised, even when they were safe. No, especially when they were safe. He saw the flicker of teal as Riku caught sight of him.

“Hey.” Riku’s voice was low, barely audible above the sound of the rainfall.

“Hey.” Lea didn’t hesitate to pull him into a hug from behind, wrapping Riku tight in the warmth of his arms. “You’re thinking too much again, aren’t you?”

Riku took a breath, exhaled long and slow. “Yeah. I guess I am. There’s a lot to think about.”

“I know.” Lea pressed a kiss to Riku’s temple. “I just don’t like seeing that look on your face.”

Riku turned a little in his arms, mouth turning down in a slight scowl. “So what kind of face should I be making?”

Lea’s expression darkened, a playful smile turning his lips up. “I can think of one.” The faint blush that spread across Riku’s cheeks made him grin.

“Stop.” There was a thread of irritation in his voice, and Lea let the teasing tone drop.

“Okay, yeah, we don’t have to do anything like that, but. Wouldn’t it be nice to just curl up somewhere? Maybe with a cup of hot tea?” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to Riku’s.

Riku’s face softened, and he relaxed into Axel a fraction. “Actually, that sounds really good.”

Lea gave Riku a squeeze, before letting go, grabbing Riku’s hand in a loose grip. “Come on, babe.” A gentle tug, and Riku was trailing behind him. Lea sat him down on a sofa in the common room—empty, before their entrance—and busied himself heating water and measuring out tea leaves, humming a soft tune.

Riku was staring into space when he returned with two mugs of tea, but he blinked into focus when Lea offered him one of the teas. “Thanks.” Lea sat down, and watched Riku inhale the heady scent of the beverage over his own mug.

They were quiet, for a while, sipping tea, side by side, legs touching, listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof. Riku relaxed in stages, his shoulders dropping first, his weight shifting towards Lea, slowly, until they both made an unspoken agreement to put their mugs down so they could stretch out on the sofa together, Riku resting his head on Lea’s shoulder.

Lea was humming again, his chest vibrating against Riku’s cheek, and he ran his fingers through the silvery hair until Riku relaxed the rest of the way, his breath coming out soft and even. Peaceful.

They had both slipped into sleep, at some point, and a small noise woke Lea, eyes fluttering open. Riku still slumbered, nestled against his chest, and Lea wrapped a protective arm around him, looking for the source of the disturbance.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Kairi’s voice was a whisper, her face a mask of chagrin at walking in on such an intimate scene, but when Lea offered her a small smile, her eyes softened. “Thank you. For taking care of him.” She gave a smile of her own, shot them one last look, and turned back around, leaving them alone again.

Lea couldn't help a private smile at the thought of taking care of Riku. They took care of each other, really. Because the sleepy face Riku was giving him just now, half dazed, filled his heart with a brightness that felt overflowing. And the little kisses that soon followed, well, those were pretty great, too.


	42. Words without Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [send me a ship and one of these and i’ll write a mini fic](http://sylvermyth.tumblr.com/post/144761431265/send-me-a-ship-and-one-of-these-and-ill-write-a)   
>  LeaKu, "things you didn't say at all" from keybaes (heart)

There were things you just didn’t say when there was a mission to take care of.  When you weren’t done trying to fix the worst of the mess that the world had become.  
  
Maybe someone like Sora or Kairi would say them.  Everything’s going to be alright!  Or, We’ll meet again!  Those two had more light in them, more hope, than either Lea or Riku.  No, hope wasn’t the right word, because Lea and Riku had hope.  It was just a hope tempered with a cynicism that the others didn’t own.  
  
They bonded over that: their shared backgrounds.  Friends lost.  Mistakes made, lives they wanted to redeem themselves for—and did—and a pinch of realism when they approached the mess that was Kingdom Hearts.  Their closeness was that of friends, at first, anyway.  
  
“I thought you were—!”  Riku didn’t say what he thought might’ve befallen Lea, and instead pulled him into a tight hug.  
  
There was a hiss of pain from Lea, too much pressure on one of his injuries, and Riku released him.  Started a cure spell and they both watched the bloody gash from the Heartless knit closed. “You know,” Lea murmured, “even if it did—” and stopped at the dark look Riku gave him.  Because maybe he might’ve been a Nobody once, and come back again, once, but who knew if that could happen again?  So he didn’t say it, and Riku didn’t have to voice those doubts.  
  
Another day, another mission.  Yen Sid didn’t call them missions; Lea did, a habit from his time as Axel, working for Xemnas.  Except these were the real missions, trying to keep the darkness at bay, trying to prevent the world from falling in on itself.  
  
It was Riku, this time, that returned in bad shape, collapsing to the floor, his magic and potions exhausted, and Lea saw the friends he’d lost, and didn’t say that he worried that Riku might be one of them.  He didn’t say anything, just helped Riku to a couch and supplied him with potions until Riku could breathe without those pained gasps.  
  
Somewhere between those concerned, frightened looks, and the weary ones, and the grateful ones, something else grew.  They didn’t say what it might be out loud.  
  
“I’m glad you’re okay.”  Or, “You made it back.  Good.”  Those they could say aloud.  
  
“Be careful,” and, “Stay safe.”  
  
Sometimes they talked about the things that Sora and Kairi and the others wouldn’t understand.  
  
Sometimes, there were things that they didn’t understand, themselves.  
  
When they kissed for the first time, it was a surprise, but not really.  They didn’t say how scared they were.  They didn’t say what was in their hearts, then, because that would be admitting they had something more precious to lose than just friendship.  
  
Lea didn’t say that he hoped, someday, that they could say all of those things, the ones that they didn’t say at all.  That he wanted the world to be right, and safe, and that he didn’t want to worry anymore.  Because giving voice to it, meant it was out there in the open, and that it could be taken away.  
  
So he kept the words inside, and waited.


	43. Brave Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt: the things you say when you're scared, from anon

Riku knew Sora was scared when he got quiet.  
  
Sora had a tendency to internalize those things, his eyes wide, shoulders tense, and the fight or flight reflex right there on the surface, waiting to push him into action.  Sora was a fighter, usually, but there were times when the flight impulse won out, and then he would run and run, and sometimes find a safe place to hide, nothing but his posture giving his fear away.  
  
When they were younger, Sora had run more.  Usually Riku would be the first person Sora would run to. Hovering behind his best friend as they explored an old house that was rumored to be haunted. Crawling into Riku’s bed or sleeping bag during a thunderstorm, when they had a sleepover.  Little whimpers as a crack of thunder drowned out the sounds of the rain on the roof, and Riku had let the smaller boy burrow close to his side.  
  
“It’s so loud!” Riku remembered Sora’s childish voice so well.  “Don’t let it get me!”  
  
“It’s okay, Sora, I’ll protect you.”  
  
“You promise?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“Forever?”  
  
“Forever.”  
  
Somehow, over the years, Sora learned to be a fighter, and stopped running to Riku when he was scared.  
  
Riku thought maybe Sora had learned that from him, since he’d always put on a brave front for his friend.  Had always been the one to protect him, like he’d promised.  Maybe Sora even thought that Riku wouldn’t let Sora see him frightened, and maybe that was why he was so scared now.  To be afraid enough for the both of them.  
  
“Riku.”  Before he even said anything, Riku knew something was wrong.  Wide blue eyes, a fidgety, barely controlled energy.  “Riku, I got a call from Kairi’s mom.”  
  
But there were some things Riku couldn’t protect him from.  
  
“She was in an accident.”  Short, nervous breath.  “Riku, she’s in a coma.”  
  
Riku bit his lip and pulled Sora into a tight hug.  “How serious is it?”  
  
“They don’t know.”  Sora’s fingers dug into Riku’s shirt, clutching at him; Riku rubbed small circles over his back, trying to quell the thread of panic in Sora’s voice.  “Riku, what if—”  
  
“Shh, Sora, it’ll be okay.”  Riku buried his frown in Sora’s hair.  It was as close to a lie as he had gotten, in a long time, because it was something Riku couldn’t be sure of.  
  
“Riku—Riku.  Promise me you won’t ever leave me?  Please?  I need you to promise.  If something happened to both of you, I—I—”  
  
“I promise, Sora.”  Riku had always lied, when he was scared.  “I won’t you leave you.  Kairi won’t leave us.  It’s going to be okay.”  He stroked Sora’s hair, hoping that his words wouldn’t come back to haunt them, hoping their friend would recover.


	44. Inseparable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt, “Things you said when you cried.” SoRiku, from anon. READERS: If you're interested in prompting me, head on over to my tumblr! It's sylvermyth (with a y). I accept anonymous asks if you don't have an account!

They'd been friends when they were children, Sora and Riku. Inseparable, always going on adventures and getting into trouble together. Kairi moved into the house next to Sora, and the two boys welcomed her into their circle without much hesitation, but it was unspoken that Sora and Riku were friends to each other, first, before Kairi.

They made it through primary school like that, a tight-knit trio cavorting in the neighborhood, playing in the schoolyard. They pretended to be heroes, fighting fearsome creatures with sticks for swords. The climbed the old oak tree, and pretended they were in the jungle with Tarzan. They played video games, and sometimes they got a little too competitive, and one time a young Sora had yelled, "I don't wanna be friends anymore!" tears streaming down his face after Riku had defeated his character for what seemed like the hundredth time. Of course, they were just kids, and Sora took Riku back the very next day, as if nothing had happened.

But things changed as they grew older. Sometime around middle school, they started drifting apart. Even Kairi was different, or maybe they suddenly noticed she was a girl. They were supposed to like girls, and maybe that's where it started. Their competitions became fiercer, their attention on who would win Kairi—without even thinking about how Kairi felt about it.

It turned out Kairi had no interest in either of them as more than friends, but by the time they realized it, Riku had already turned away and found other people to hang out with. Other people to play his video games with and hang out with over the weekends, and they were bullies, and sometimes Sora was their target.

Rumors around school were that Riku's new friends did things besides bully the other students, that they vandalized, and smoked, and drank. The kinds of things that could land you in serious trouble, and Sora tried. He tried to talk Riku out of the 'bad crowd.' "Riku, please, they're bad people, and you know it!"

Riku sent him a flat look. "Like you know anything about it, Sora. Get lost." No inflection. No hint that he even cared about what Sora had to say.

"Riku, why aren't we friends anymore?" Sora's eyes shone brightly, and the first tear spilled over before Riku could reply.

"Why would I be friends with someone like you?" And that was it. Riku turned his back and walked away, and after that, Sora rarely saw him.

Kairi was the first one to hear that Riku had run away from home. Riku's family had always been distant, Sora remembered, but he still could never imagine leaving home like that.

Sora wondered if the cell number Kairi got from one of Riku's other 'friends' would even work when he sent the text. _I miss you Riku. Come back._ Sora cried, because Riku's sudden disappearance left an unexpected ache in his chest. It was different, somehow, from Riku choosing his other friends. He could still see Riku, then, in the halls, sometimes, or lounging in the parking lot with the other guys.

There was no response for a week, and then a month, and Sora's chest felt tight and heavy. He'd never imagined a future without Riku.

Another month passed, before Sora's phone let out the cheerful jingle indicating a new text. _Take care of Kairi_. It was from the number listed as Riku in his phone, and Sora felt a new hope.

If that was what Riku was worried about— _Kairi_ _'_ _s worried about you. Are you okay?_

_I_ _'_ _m fine. Take care._

_Riku, come back._

_I_ _'_ _m sorry, Sora._

_There_ _'_ _s nothing to be sorry about._

Sora sighed. After that, nothing from his childhood friend. A year went by, and then another. Sora sometimes sent messages to Riku's number, just in case. A message about his college decision. About all the extra-curriculars his university offered, and _Hey, you can even take Kendo as a class! Remember when we used to pretend to have sword fights?_

"Sora, I don't think he's coming back." This from Kairi, in their sophomore year in college. She had a sad look on her face, and of course she didn't understand, she wasn't _there_ the whole time. She didn't _know_ Riku.

And Sora told her that. "You don't know him. He'll come back."

"Sora," and Kairi's voice was soft, not condescending, exactly, but her tone said that she did know better. "I'm not saying you should give up on him. But can you really say you know him? It's been _years_." Sympathy.

Sora sent one last text to the silent number. _I_ _'_ _m deleting this number. I won't bother you anymore_. And he did, tears still hot on his face. Because Kairi was right.

He never stopped wondering if Riku was okay.

Sora was at his part time job, at a Cosi because Starbucks wasn't hiring, getting ready to close, when a customer walked in, and Sora _knew_ that hair color. His face was older, sporting an expression Sora had never seen on him, hesitant, like he didn't know what he was doing, but it was _Riku._

It didn't matter how many years were between them, or how many mistakes Riku might've made.

All that mattered was that when Sora jumped the counter, and wrapped his arms around Riku, he was real, and warm, and he was carefully placing his hands on Sora's back.

"You stink," Sora told Riku's chest. He was afraid to look up, because the tears were streaming down his face, but this time, they were happy tears. "You really smell bad," he reiterated, his nose scrunching a bit, because Riku smelled like stale sweat, like someone who had been in a car for too long.

"I'm sorry," Riku murmured.

Sora finally pulled out of the hug, to land a punch on Riku's shoulder. "You should be!" His indignant anger melted quickly, though. "But you came back!" He pulled Riku into another hug. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too, Sor."

"Sora, I'm touched by your reunion, but the store's not going to close itself." Leon's voice cut through the moment, bringing them back to the present.

Sora pointed at one of the tables. "Sit. You're not leaving."

"No, I'm not." Riku sat down as instructed, a small smile playing at his lips. "We've got a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah." Sora flashed him a grin, the grin he'd always used with Riku. "I knew you'd come back, Riku."


	45. On the grass, under the stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt from ryuko-hime: When we lay together on the fresh spring grass AkuRoku
> 
> (Currently taking prompts via my [tumblr](http://sylvermyth.tumblr.com/post/147205581915/the-way-you-said-i-love-you) to celebrate 500 followers!)

Axel sighed, looking out the window to see Roxas still sitting in the field that bordered their apartment.  He’d been out there for a while already, after storming out and slamming the door behind him, and Axel still didn’t know why.  They hadn’t fought, not this time, anyway.  Axel had wanted to follow him, but he knew better: if Roxas was slamming doors, he needed some time to calm down.  
  
But the sun was starting to set, and it was spring, the nights carrying a chill despite the comfortable temperatures of the day.  Roxas didn’t always think about such practical matters, especially when his mind was otherwise occupied, so Axel grabbed a hoodie on his way out.  Just in case Roxas decided to be stubborn and stay outside (which was likely enough).  
  
Roxas didn’t acknowledge him when Axel sat down next to him.  
  
“What’s the matter, Rox?”  Axel held the hoodie in his lap still, fiddling with the zipper.  He was met with a shrug.  “Look, if I fucked up, just tell me, okay?”  
  
Roxas looked at him, finally, a quick glance, and then away again.  “It’s not that.”  
  
Axel waited for Roxas to elaborate, but he didn’t.  “Then, what is it?”  
  
Silence.  
  
Axel heaved a sigh.  “At least come inside.  It’s going to be getting cold soon.”  
  
Roxas shook his head, his eyes on the darkening sky, thoughts racing behind them.  
  
Axel frowned and tossed the sweatshirt into Roxas’s lap.  “If you’re going to stay out here, at least put this on.  I’ll leave the hall light on for you.”  Axel moved to stand, but Roxas’s hand on his sleeve stopped him.  
  
“Stay.  Please?”  And Axel had never been able to refuse those soulful blue eyes, so he dropped back down on the grass, though he still was having trouble gauging Roxas’s mood.  It made it harder to appease him, or comfort him, if that’s what Roxas needed.  
  
So Axel laid down, stretching his legs out and folding his arms under his head, and let the silence fall between them.  It wasn’t uncomfortable, exactly, more like…they were both holding their breaths, waiting to exhale.  But it wasn’t Axel’s place to clear the tension.  
  
He saw it, the way Roxas’s shoulders relaxed, falling a little, and then he pulled the hoodie on.  A moment later, he lowered himself next to Axel, one of his hands curled loosely in the space between them, and Axel shifted so he could do the same.  He didn’t take Roxas’s hand, though.  He would let Roxas decide if he wanted to.  
  
The first stars were visible in the sky when Roxas finally spoke up.  “I’m mad at myself.  Not you,” and his voice was full of a weariness that Axel wasn’t used to hearing.  
  
Axel closed the distance between their hands, until he could run his thumb in soothing strokes over Roxas’s knuckles, prompting him to elaborate.  
  
“Just.”  Roxas stopped, and made a noise of frustration.  “How come you’re able to say it so easily?  And I can’t, and it’s not because—not because I don’t feel the same, but—!”  He glared at the sky, and Axel felt his heart swell.  
  
“Roxas, babe.”  Axel rolled on his side and propped his head up, a smile stretching his lips.  “You don’t have to _say_ it.  I kinda figured the feeling was, you know, mutual.”  
  
“But if I feel it, why can’t I say it?  I want to say it back when you say it, it seems wrong not to—”  
  
“I love you.”  Axel’s smile widened into a grin.  “Go ahead, then.  ‘I love you, too.’  Say it, just like that.”  
  
Roxas squirmed.  “Me, too.”  
  
Axel chuckled.  “That doesn’t count!  Here, does it help if,” Axel scooted closer, until he was hovering above Roxas, looking in his eyes for only a second before he leaned down with a brief kiss.  “I love you.”  
  
Instead of replying in kind, Roxas brought his hands up and drew Axel back down, into a lingering kiss.  It deepened, wet and warm, tongues finding each other, and breaths growing shorter, until they drew apart, just enough to suck in a breath of air.  
  
“I love you,” Axel murmured again, nuzzling Roxas, his nose dragging along Roxas’s skin as he pressed light kisses along his jaw, under his ear, down his neck, punctuating each one with another proclamation of love.  He nipped the juncture between neck and shoulder, causing Roxas to hiss in pleasure.  “Say it, or I’ll do you right here,” he breathed into Roxas’s skin, a hand already slipping under Roxas’s shirt.  
  
“What kind—of threat—is that?” Roxas panted.  
  
Axel pulled away, a predatory look on his face.  “One where I win, either way.”  
  
And maybe that was what did it.  Axel moved to continue, but Roxas put a hand on his chest, stopping him.  Blue eyes, that already said it, but they were softening, and Roxas’s mouth was in a wry smile.  “Yeah.  And that’s why.”  
  
“Why what?”  
  
“Why I love you.”  
  
Axel beamed, and fell on Roxas with a crushing hug.


	46. hold on tight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt from @keybaes: Leaku 31: In awe, the first time you realised it (the way you said "i love you")

There was something about an open highway that said freedom.  Fields on either side, green, and speeding by, the sky wide and blue above, the gray of asphalt below, and the wind roaring as the motorbike sliced through.  At least, that’s how Riku saw it, reveling in the rush of it all.  
  
Lea, on the other hand, alternated between squeezing his eyes shut and holding them open wide, in terror, as he clutched at Riku’s waist for dear life.  There was no shell of metal around them, if anything happened.  He wasn’t paranoid, exactly, but a helmet and some leather seemed like little protection at this speed, surrounded by hunks of metal in the shape of cars and, worse, trucks and tractor trailers, all hurtling forward on either side of them.  
  
But Riku had insisted that the motorbike was the best way to travel, had talked Lea into a day trip, and Lea had agreed.  Until he’d actually gotten on the bike, and by then it was too late.  What should’ve been a joy ride was more like a hurtling trip to death aboard a crotch rocket.  
  
Still, Lea couldn’t maintain such a tight hold on Riku forever, and gradually, he relaxed.  Or rather,  he accepted that no matter how much he gripped Riku, whatever was going to happen, would happen, and really, it was enough to feel the firm body in his arms.  
  
He still didn’t enjoy the ride, especially when Riku took them through a series of narrow turns cut into the mountain.  
  
When Riku slowed the bike to a stop in a small car park, Lea was more than happy to climb off, legs wobbly enough that he stumbled.  
  
Riku was chuckling as he pulled his helmet off, hair damp with sweat and sticking to his head.  “What’s the matter, Lea?  Did I take that last corner too fast?”  
  
Lea shucked his own helmet and shot Riku a glare.  “My whole body feels numb.”  
  
Riku grinned.  “Engine vibration.”  He accepted Lea’s helmet and stowed both helmets on the bike.  “Let me know when you’ve got your land legs back so I can show you what we came here for.”  
  
Lea grumbled and steadied himself, breathing in fresh, still air.  He swiped a hand through his hair, even knowing it would do nothing for his helmet head, and then decided he didn’t care, anyway.  “This better be worth it.”  
  
Riku grabbed his hand, leaning in to kiss him.  “Don’t be a baby.  It wasn’t that bad.”  
  
“I did get to hold on to you the whole time,” Lea allowed.  
  
Riku bumped his shoulder.  “See, not all bad.”  He tugged Lea’s hand.  “Come on, then.”  
  
Lea let Riku lead the way, and, once he felt more or less normal again, began to take in their surroundings.  Riku was picking their way along a beaten path, trees on either side, and the air heavy with the smell of earth and greenery.  It was quiet, isolated as they were, and that brought a certain peace that Lea wasn’t used to.  
  
But it was a good atmosphere, and he relaxed, leaning on Riku, both of them walking at a languid pace.  
  
There was a low sound that grew as they followed the path, until it was a dull roar, and when they rounded a bend, Lea paused to take in the sight.  They’d come to a waterfall, tumbling down the side of a cliff; the path they’d taken halted at a landing about halfway up one side, overlooking the pool below.  A gust of wind carried a spray of water, and Lea closed his eyes, reveling in the refreshing mist.  
  
When he opened his eyes again, Riku was looking at him, a smile on his lips and eyes crinkling at the corners.  
  
Lea felt his breath catch, a little.  He’d always been a helpless romantic, and maybe this wasn’t Niagara Falls, but that didn’t make the view any less beautiful, especially with Riku there, looking up at him with those aqua eyes of his.  The same Riku that knew how much he enjoyed a rare sight like this.  Lea was warm, suddenly, his heart beating so hard he was sure it was audible over the roar of the waterfall.  
  
“I love you, Ku.”  It came out in a breath of wonder, maybe lost under the sound of his pounding heart and the rush of water, and he realized it was true.  
  
Riku wrapped his arms around Lea, pressing his face against Lea’s chest, and Lea bent his head to kiss the top of Riku’s head.  He was sure his cheeks were pink with a blush, but he decided he didn’t mind, if it was for Riku.


	47. Intimate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt from @zenellyraen: Either 6 or 16 with zemyx pretty plz ilu (6: On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, the late sunlight glowing in your hair); please enjoy this entirely too sweet bit of fluff.

For someone as lazy as Demyx, it never ceased to amaze Zexion how rare it was to see his boyfriend neglecting his trademark hairstyle.  He was more than certain that it took a generous amount of hair product, along with a good chunk of time, to style it to defy gravity, just so.  Until they’d started dating, he could’ve counted on one hand the times he’d seen Demyx with his hair down, natural and relaxed, more suited to his personality.  
  
Zexion understood, really.  His own hair he’d let grow into a long fringe, which he frequently hid behind when he got overwhelmed, or flustered, so he was familiar with the concept of using an aspect of one’s appearance as a kind of armor.  
  
The result was an added intimacy when that armor was stripped away.  
  
Zexion closed his eyes, remembering the feel of Demyx’s hand, pushing Zexion’s hair back until he couldn’t hide anymore, and then the gentle touch as he cupped Zexion’s cheek and pulled him into a kiss.  In his memory, and in remembering it, he sighed, the exhalation a kind of surrender.  He let his mind drift away, this time to an image, Demyx’s hair splayed soft on a pillow, still carrying the scent of hair glue despite the shower they’d shared.  That was Demyx’s scent, hair product, and sweat, and a little bit of something else that Zexion couldn’t identify, and it lingered even when he was gone.  
  
It was a Tuesday, which meant he had the day off.  Zexion snuggled deeper into the over-sized shirt he’d stolen from Demyx.  He’d never considered himself sentimental, insisted to himself that it wasn’t sentiment that made him pull it on this morning.  Just, Demyx’s scent made him feel good, and he liked to carry it with him as he went about his day, taking care of minor housework and fixing tea to sip as he perused his newest book.  
  
Well.  He’d spent as much time perusing his book as he had spent daydreaming.  
  
He frowned, chastising himself.  He was being unreasonable.  There was no need to be so wrapped up in another person like this, especially when he had books to read and his day was already halfway gone.  He eyed the sun in the sky outside, still high, but making its way westward, as it was wont to do.  He huffed and turned his eyes back to his book, this time intent on actually reading the words there.  
  
And he did read.  Without much effort, he relaxed into the focus that came with an enjoyable book, so that the world around him faded away.  
  
He was so enthralled, curled around the hardback book, that he didn’t notice Demyx slip in, even with the jangle of his many key chains to announce his presence.  Didn’t notice the fond look directed at him, or the bag of take-out food set on the counter.  
  
Demyx had once said Zexion wouldn’t notice a natural disaster if it happened while he was reading, and he might’ve been right, on that count.  
  
So Zexion was startled when his first glimpse of Demyx was fresh out of the shower, sunlight catching on his still-drying hair so that it glowed, just a bit.  “I didn’t see you come in,” he murmured, slipping a bookmark between the pages to hold his place.  
  
Demyx pressed a kiss to Zexion’s hair.  “Of course you didn’t.  What’re you reading tonight?”  
  
Zexion ignored the question in favor of kissing Demyx back.  “Welcome back.”  
  
“Is this my shirt?”  Demyx grinned as he plucked at Zexion’s sleeve.  
  
Zexion scowled at the cover of his book, his hair falling over one eye.  
  
“Zexion.”  And there was Demyx’s hand again, tilting his burning face up, pushing Zexion’s hair back.  “Ah!  You’re so fucking cute!  I love you!”  He pulled Zexion into an abrupt, crushing hug, and Zexion couldn’t help but make an indignant squeak.  
  
But he buried his face in Demyx’s shoulder, anyway, breathing in his scent.  “I love you too,” though he wasn’t sure Demyx could hear his voice, as it was muffled against Demyx’s shirt.  
  
Maybe he did, though, because Demyx’s arms grew even tighter around him.  “I bought us dinner!  Chinese, yeah?”  
  
Maybe he wasn’t being so unreasonable, Zexion decided, once Demyx released him.  Zexion tucked his hair behind an ear, to better see Demyx bustle around the kitchen, plating up their dinner.  After all, this was love, wasn’t it?  The toothy smile Demyx sent his way said, yes, it definitely was.


	48. Sea Salt GO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really, it had to be done. This is exactly what you think it is.

Roxas is the first to get Pokemon GO. He’d refreshed the app store obsessively until it showed up and promptly set up his account…only to be thwarted by the servers for the entirety of the first two days.  
  
Xion is next, and somehow manages to avoid the server issues, getting a leg up on catching Pokemon on the quiet walks she takes to have time to herself. She catches a Pikachu on her first day, and even though Roxas is a little jealous, she’s so enthusiastic about it that he can’t help but smile.  
  
Axel, admittedly, was never as big on Pokemon as the rest of them, but he decides it could be fun, and anyway, Xion and Roxas won’t _shut up_ about it, so he downloads it Friday. The late start means he misses the server problems that crippled Roxas in the first two days of the game’s release. His indifference is quickly replaced with a kind of mania, but after all, isn’t the point of the game to _catch ‘em all_? He discovers that the quickest way to do so is to drive around town, because he can cover more distance and hit all the different spawning areas, and even though that won’t hatch his eggs, it’s okay, because he’ll go with Xion on a walk later.  
  
Xion looks a little alarmed when she finds out that Axel is playing while driving. Roxas frowns because Axel only ever seems to do it while Roxas is gone, and this is the first sign of their rivalry.  
  
On his own day off, Roxas spends the day riding around the city on the bus. This is perfect, because the frequent stops means he can get all the Pokestops, too.  
  
There’s a gym on their block, right next to their building. Someone claims it before any of them hit level five, but they all agree that it’s _their_ gym, and they’re the only ones that can control it.  
  
Axel reaches level five first, after all the Pidgeys and Rattatas he’s collected, and it’s no surprise when he chooses Team Valor. This is the second, and defining point in his rivalry with Roxas, who chooses Team Mystic.  
  
Xion, meanwhile, opts for Team Instinct. She’s happy just collecting as many Pokemon as she can. Demyx, they find out later, is on Team Instinct, too. This surprises no one.  
  
What is a surprise is how often their gym is yellow.  
  
Usually, it’s Roxas and Axel, constantly battling for control, so that the gym doesn’t get past level one before it changes hands again. They both claim other gyms nearby, and even on the other side of town when they’re out, but as soon as they’re home again, the air is charged, insults and curses exchanged whenever they best one another.  
  
And while they’re going at it, Xion and Demyx swoop in to claim the gym as their own, and together they easily bring the gym up to a second, and then a third level, all the while laughing at the looks of affront that both Axel and Roxas sport. Still, no one ever gets _that_ upset about it, because Xion and Demyx really aren’t that competitive.  
  
Roxas and Axel are, though.  Gyms are only the beginning.  Leveling is a race.  Earning badges is a race.  Completing the Pokedex is a race.  Roxas catches an Ivysaur on his way home one night, and Axel eats the last sea salt ice cream out of spite.  
  
They fight, a real fight, with real insults and cold shoulders, for all of two days before Xion steps in.  When they make up, they agree that it’s a silly, childish rivalry.  Pokemon GO is just for fun, anyway.  At least, that’s what they say out loud.  
  
Internally, they’re both already planning a strategy to lay the other to waste once the game allows player vs player battles.


	49. Long Distance Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt from apiegohome: SoRoku please ~ Angst or Fluff – You decide. Things you said that I wasn't meant to hear Or Things you said under the stars and in the grass
> 
> Sorry, I chose angst.

_Look, Rox, it’ll only be for a few months. It’ll be gone before we know it!_  
  
Roxas rolls Axel’s words around in his head, and not for the first time. The stint abroad was one that would further his career, and Roxas wanted to support him. Even if it meant being left behind, the could still Skype every day, right? Still, three months was a long time to be apart, especially when they were still figuring things out between them.  
  
The first month passes quickly enough. They did Skype, as often as they could, though the differing time zones combined with their conflicting schedules makes that less often than either of them would’ve liked.  
  
The second month passes. Axel is busy with work, Roxas with his senior thesis. The Skype calls come, but fewer and far between. There’s an ocean between them, and, Roxas thinks, sometimes it feels like more.  
  
It’s halfway through the third month that Axel tells him, “They want me to stay another three months. I have to give them an answer next week.” There is a strain in his voice, a look that is bittersweet hope and unhappiness, and Roxas wonders why he feels nothing when he hits _end call_.  
  
Roxas wonders why he feels empty, why seeing Axel’s face doesn’t make his chest warm and full anymore. It’s just a face, familiar as it is, with Axel’s green eyes and inverted teardrop tattoos, and that makes him feel something, but it’s not what he’s supposed to feel.  
  
Since Axel’s been gone, Roxas has grown closer to Sora. Without Axel there to monopolize his time, Roxas has been spending more time with his other friends, Sora in particular. Sora, who usually has a smile on his face, but has thoughts deeper than he lets on. Sora, who Roxas begins to look forward to spending time with the most.  
  
Time with Sora, Roxas realizes, is something he looks forward to more than Axel’s Skype calls. Sora, who Roxas thinks he’s seen watching him with a _look_ in his eyes.  
  
When he thinks about it, there’s a little flutter in his chest.  
  
“You should take their offer,” Roxas is calm, when he says it. He feels calm, even though Axel’s face says he isn’t calm. “Do what’s best for you, Axel.”  
  
“I miss you, Roxas.” Roxas has nothing, in response to that. “I want to be able to hold you again.”  
  
Roxas sighs. “Axel.”  
  
The look on Axel’s face, even through the poor quality of the Skype call, says he knows what’s next. “Roxas, no, don’t say it. I’m coming back, I’m not going to stay. Whatever it is, it can wait, right? ‘Til I get back?”  
  
Roxas shakes his head. “I won’t change my mind. Axel, stay. Your career is most important, right now.”  
  
“But it’s _not_! Roxas, _you’re important_.”  Desperation creeps into Axel’s voice, and Roxas feels a little something.  
  
But it’s still not what he’s supposed to feel.  “I don’t—Axel, I don’t feel the same way anymore.  I’m sorry.  I think I like someone else, now.”  
  
Axel’s face is stricken.  He looks a little tired, Roxas thinks, but he knows Axel will be fine.  “You—did you—”  
  
“I wouldn’t do anything like that,” Roxas says.  “I wanted to end things with us, first.”  Axel scrubs at his face.  It’s late there, Roxas knows.  “You should get some sleep, Axel.”  
  
Axel looks at him, his green eyes piercing, even with all the distance between them.  Finally, he looks away, sighing.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I guess I should.”  Roxas knows this isn’t over, not yet, but there’s still a thread of defeat in Axel’s voice.  
  
“Take their offer, Axel.”  
  
“Good night, Rox.”  
  
“Good bye.”  Roxas hits the end call button.  He stares at the Skype window a moment longer, and then closes his laptop.  He’s not sure what he’s supposed to feel.  A little sad, maybe, that Axel has to be hurt, but mostly he feels lighter.  
  
The sound of Sora clearing his throat behind him startles Roxas.  He looks to see Sora biting his lip, eyes on the ground.  
  
“How much did you hear?”  He’s not sure he wants Sora to know, yet.  He’s still figuring it out, what he feels and what he doesn’t, and he’s not sure he was clear enough with Axel.  
  
Sora shrugs.  “Enough.”  
  
“You weren’t meant to hear any of it.”  Roxas scowls at his laptop.  
  
“Yeah.  Sorry.”  
  
Silence hangs in the air between them, awkward, but Roxas shrugs it off.  “Don’t worry about it.”  
  
There’s a little hesitation in Sora’s voice when he asks, “Who do you like, Roxas?”  
  
Roxas meets his gaze head-on.  “Who do you like, Sora?”  It’s a little bit of a challenge, since he’s been caught out like this, and he doesn’t have any expectations, because he didn’t drop Axel for this.  It was just a push, on top of the distance that had grown up between them.  
  
But Roxas still feels something, a little flutter in his chest, when Sora says, “What if I said it was you?”


	50. Blocked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tumblr prompt from ryuko-hime: 27. A taunt, with one eyebrow raised and a grin bubbling at your lips (I'm thinking AkuRoku for this one, please tell me I'm not the only one >.>)

The cursor mocked him.  
  
It blinked, on, off, on again, a sharp contrast to the vast expanse of white, punctuating the blankness of his word processor.  Roxas had to write.  It was what he did, and it literally paid his bills.  And most days, he had no problem tapping out his goals for the day, and some days, the words ran like water from his mind to his fingertips, until his screen was as much black as it was white.  
  
But today was definitely not one of those days.  For nearly a week running, writing had been like pulling teeth.  
  
Writer’s block.  It was heavy, a weight on his shoulders, as his deadline grew nearer and nearer.  He’d tried nearly everything he could think of.  Coffee, his best friend, had failed him, this time.  A bit of fresh air on a walk, while refreshing, did nothing.  Free writing, and various creative exercises?  Nothing.  
  
Roxas rubbed at his eyes.  He was due for another break, though he hadn’t managed to do more than tap out a few words.  Which he had already deleted in frustration.  
  
He tensed, about to stand, and then a thought flitted across the surface of his mind.  A handful of words, and he knew if he let them go, he would lose them for good, so he relaxed back into his chair, fingers punching out the letters.  He hesitated, rolling the words around in his head, until there were more words, a slow stream of them, but they were coming, nonetheless.  
  
He eyed the growing word count, though it was still nothing near what he needed.  It was little more than filler, so far, but it was a start.  He was sure of it.  
  
“Roxas.”  Axel’s voice cut through his concentration, the man himself leaning against the door frame.  
  
“Not now, Axel.”  Roxas forged on, the tap of the keyboard uneven, but his word processor had actual words on it, now, black filling up the empty white.  There was red in his peripheries, Axel’s mess of hair, and green, vivid and focused on Roxas, but he only cared about the black.  
  
“You said you were going to come with me for some ice cream.  That was twenty minutes ago.”  
  
Roxas let out a small huff.  “I’m only just now getting around to writing.”  
  
“You’ve been at it all day.”  There was a hint of a pout in Axel’s voice, but Roxas chose not to acknowledge it.  “Come on, Rox.”  
  
Roxas steadfastly ignored him.  He was going to get _something_ down.  
  
“Roxas.”  He saw Axel’s hand only a moment before it descended, so when the laptop snapped shut, his fingers escaped unscathed.  
  
Axel, on the other hand, would not be so lucky.  He’d already decided.  “Axel,” he said evenly.  Roxas leveled a glare at him, and let his day’s frustration seep into his next words.  “Get.  Off.”  
  
Axel met his gaze, one eyebrow raising in a taunt.  “Ice.  Cream.”  
  
Roxas practically growled.  
  
But Axel was already dancing backwards, laptop held to his chest.  By the time Roxas scrambled after him, Axel was already in the kitchen, placing the thing on top of a cabinet, and out of Roxas’s reach.  
  
“Axel, I will _fucking kill you_ , you fucking tall-ass freak.”  It was the first, and only warning.  
  
Axel grinned, all teeth.  “I love you too, Roxas.”  
  
Roxas threw a punch, but Axel, already expecting it, caught it with a laugh.  It turned into a wrestling match, Roxas torn between climbing the counters to retrieve his laptop (Axel grabbed him around the waist and pulled him to the floor), and exacting revenge for the deed, but even this devolved into panted breaths and half-hearted shoves.  
  
Roxas was just congratulating himself on landing at least one good punch, when one of Axel’s bony fingers jabbed him in the ribs.  And really, that was all it took to send them both into peals of laughter, because Roxas couldn’t stay mad at Axel for something so trivial, and Roxas’s laugh was contagious.  
  
Roxas caught his breath and smiled down at their tangled limbs.  When he looked up, he felt a little younger, happier.  “I love you, too, Ax.”  
  
Axel grinned.  “So.  Ice cream?”  
  
Roxas socked him on the shoulder.  “Only if you buy!”


	51. heat sink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> August = AkuRoku month. Here's an AkuRoku drabble to ring it in! Prompt from princess-wasabi, Roxas with cold skin, bumping into Axel, who is always warm. It's total fluff. Please review! Also, I'll be taking one-word prompts for drabbles over the course of the month, if you drop by my tumblr [sylvermyth]

It had been a hot, sticky day, continuing the trend from earlier that week, and Axel was sprawled in bed, dozing.  It was true, he preferred the heat, but that didn’t make it any less draining, and there was nothing better than stepping into the air-conditioned apartment after a long day out in the sun.  He’d already taken a shower to wash the sweat away, and hadn’t bothered with clothing, because even with the AC on, he was warm.  
  
So when he started awake to a cold touch, he leaned into it with a sound of appreciation.  He blinked the bleariness from his eyes to see Roxas smiling down at him; Axel gave him a sleepy smile in return.  “Your hands are so cold.  It feels good.”  
  
“How are you this hot with the AC on?” Roxas turned his hand and pressed it against the side of Axel’s neck.  
  
“Good looks run in the family, Rox.”  Axel placed his hand over Roxas’s, trapping the cold there.  
  
Roxas pulled his hand from Axel’s grasp and smacked his arm.  “That’s not what I meant.  I was talking about your temperature.”  
  
“I wasn’t.”  Axel smirked.  
  
“No shit.”  Roxas rolled his eyes.  
  
“But, if we’re talking temperatures, how are you so cold?”  Axel reached for Roxas’s hand again and pressed it against his cheek.  “Not that I’m complaining.”  
  
Roxas gave him a wry look.  “The AC is on.  You know know my hands are always cold, right?”  
  
“Mm.”  Axel captured Roxas’s other hand, to replace the first, which had lost some of its chill.  “But I’m still hot.”  
  
Roxas pursed his lips.  “Let go of my hand, Axel.”  
  
“But it feels so good,” Axel whined.  Still, he pressed a kiss to Roxas’s fingers and released him.  
  
“Well,” Roxas huffed, “fine.”  In an exaggerated motion, he flopped on the bed next to Axel, and then tucked himself against Axel’s side.  “You can have all the cold.”  With that, he pressed his face into Axel’s neck.  
  
“Aw!  Even your nose is cold!”  Axel stroked Roxas’s hair, relishing the contrast of Roxas’s cold skin against his own.  
  
“My feet, too,” Roxas mumbled, tangling their legs together.  
  
Axel chuckled.  “Alright, I’ll warm you up.”  
  
“Good,” and it sounded a little petulant, Axel decided, and that was really cute.  
  
Axel breathed in the smell of Roxas, enjoying the closeness as much as he did the pleasant chill of Roxas’s skin.  “I love you.”  Roxas snuggled closer and sighed.  With the hum of the air conditioning and their limbs twined together, it was easy to be lulled into another comfortable drowse.  And before Axel slipped away in a full sleep, he thought, _What a perfect end to the day_.


	52. Butterscotch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku month continues! tumblr prompt from @ryuko-hime who gave me the word “butterscotch”

“If you’re going to live with me, we’re going to need a bigger place.”  
  
Axel glanced up from his phone.  “Who says I’m going to live with you?”  
  
Roxas crossed his arms, giving Axel his best deadpan stare.  “You’re already living here.”  
  
“I am?”  
  
“You might as well be.  Your stuff is everywhere.”  He pointed at the entertainment stand, overflowing with video game consoles.  “Yours.”  He nudged the bean bag Axel was nestled in.  “Yours.  And half the food in the kitchen.  You’re here more than you aren’t.  Not that I mind,” he amended.  “It’s just, you know, a little cramped.  For two people.”  
  
Axel tilted his head, surveying the little studio apartment.  “It’s comfortable.  Cozy.”  He pretended not to notice the stacks of stuff that lined the walls, threatening to trip a misplaced step.  
  
“Axel, ‘cozy’ is a euphemism that realtors use to sell places that are _too small_.  Look, my lease is up soon.  If we live together, really, as in, you paying half the rent—”  
  
Axel cut him off.  “Okay.”  
  
“Okay what?”  
  
“Okay, let’s pick out a place together.”  He stood up abruptly, picking up his bag on the way to the sofa, before plopping next to Roxas.  “I’ve got a few places in mind already.”  Axel grinned.  
  
Roxas stared as Axel unpacked his laptop and opened the browser—already filled with open tabs that boasted apartments for rent.  “Wait…wait, Axel…”  
  
Axel winked at him.  “It was all part of my evil plan.”  He kissed a wide-eyed Roxas on the cheek.  
  
Apartment hunting, never a pleasant task, turned out to be both a blessing and a curse to do with two people, rather than one.  It was harder to please two people than just one, when choosing a living space, but Roxas had to admit, Axel’s enthusiasm for moving together was infectious, and really, Roxas was the pickier of the two.  
  
They had, finally, agreed on a one-bedroom apartment, larger than Roxas’s studio, complete with all the amenities that Roxas insisted on.  They sat in the leasing office, waiting for the agent to return from filing their papers.  
  
Axel had a brochure for the building open in his lap.  “I don’t really need all of this.  I mean, the place Dem and I are at is fine with just a window AC unit.”  
  
Roxas sent him a sidelong look.  “You say that, but I’m pretty sure you’re more in love with my central air than you are with me.”  
  
Axel pouted and turned his attention back to a bowl of candy sitting on the desk.  He scooped up a few pieces, dropping them in a pocket.  Roxas leaned forward, inspecting the bowl.  
  
“What’s the point of putting a bowl of candy out if it’s all crappy candy?”  
  
Axel gave him a look of affront.  “Butterscotch is _not_ crappy candy.”  Any retort Roxas had was interrupted by the leasing agent’s return.  
  
They returned to Roxas’s, toting cardboard boxes.  “A place for the two of us, finally!”  Axel stretched, and Roxas poked him in the stomach.  
  
“Don’t act like you haven’t been living with me for over a year already.”  
  
Axel grinned.  “You found me out!”  He fished a candy from his pocket.  “A reward for your heard work!”  
  
Roxas batted him away.  “I don’t like butterscotch, I told you.”  
  
“Hmm.”  There was a rustle of plastic as Axel unwrapped the candy, and then an audible ‘pop’ when he put it in his mouth.  “I could change your mind.”  
  
Roxas sent him a challenging look.  “I dare you.”  Of course, Roxas should’ve known better than to challenge him.  Roxas let out an indignant squeak when Axel slung an arm around his waist and dragged them both down on the sofa.  
  
Axel squeezed him in a hug, nuzzling his face into Roxas’s neck—and really, Roxas thought that was unfair, because his neck was his weakness—which inevitably turned into a kiss.  Just lips, at first, but Axel’s fingers quickly worked their way under Roxas’s shirt, finding bare skin, and making Roxas gasp in pleasure, and then it was tongues, and Axel, somehow, managed the kiss even with the hard candy in his mouth.  
  
Roxas recoiled a little at the buttery flavor, but a hand on the back of his neck pulled him back, Axel’s mouth insistent against his own.  
  
And, really, he liked kissing Axel more than he disliked the taste.  
  
He felt, rather than saw, the triumphant grin stretching Axel’s lips when Roxas deepened the kiss, and then Axel thrust the drop of butterscotch into his mouth and pulled away.  
  
Roxas sputtered and spat the thing out, glaring.  “You sneaky bastard!”  
  
Axel cackled and turned to run.  
  
Except, there was nowhere to run in the tiny studio apartment, and it was only a matter of seconds before Roxas tackled him, and they fell into a laughing, flailing pile on the bed.  “Finish what you start.” Roxas’s breath was buttery sweet against Axel’s lips.  
  
Axel was more than happy to oblige.


	53. Trussed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku month drabble, inspired by [nijuukoo's art](http://nijuukoo.tumblr.com/post/148653129951/813-month-2016-day-7-bound-word-from) Please excuse the punny title, as I already have a fic named 'bound'

It was, unsurprisingly, Axel’s idea.  
  
Not that Roxas wasn’t willing to try new things-evidenced by his agreement—but Axel got around to asking first.  
  
He said it in a casual tone over lunch, because even though they’d known each other for a while, Axel was always learning something new about Roxas.  And anyway, how else does one ask? “Have you ever thought about being tied up?”  
  
Roxas paused, fork halfway to his mouth, and raised an eyebrow.  “Want to try something different?”  
  
Axel lowered his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, a little embarrassed.  “Maybe?”  
  
“I hadn’t really thought about it.  But…”  Roxas gave him an appraising look, his eyes darkening.  “It could be fun.”  He brought his fork to his mouth, delicate and sensuous, watching Axel with half-lidded eyes as he ate.  
  
Axel bit his lip, face reddening.  
  
Roxas cocked his head.  “Would you…like me to tie you up, Axel?”  The corners of his mouth tilted up in a salacious grin.  
  
Axel, perhaps, had intended to be the one doing the tying, but the predatory look on Roxas’s face sent a shiver of anticipation through him, and any fantasies he might’ve had of seeing Roxas trussed up were quickly replaced by something else entirely.  To be at Roxas’s mercy…had as much appeal, if not more, than his original plan.  
  
Axel propped his chin on his hand, his voice slow and deliberate.  “Yeah.  I think I would.”  
  
After lunch, they turned to the Internet, and spent as much time researching basic rope techniques as they did ogling intricate shibari.  Axel didn’t miss the way Roxas’s eyes flickered back at him, or the way his tongue darted out to wet his lips.  
  
And when Axel leaned down to kiss his cheek, Roxas held him there with a hand in Axel’s hair, his lips next to Axel’s ear.  “This is a good idea.”  
  
They couldn’t do it right away—they had to go to the store to buy the rope, and then come back and inspect it, and read a few more guides—but it made a certain kind of anticipation grow between them.  And then Roxas asked him to strip, and, oh, it took so much self-restraint, from them both, to not just toss the idea out the window and skip to the main event—  
  
But that would be missing the point entirely.  
  
So Roxas draped the rope over Axel’s shoulders, keeping to his task.  Only touching what he needed to knot the rope, and adjust it, just so, and even then, Axel’s skin burned whenever Roxas’s hands brushed against him.  He shifted, to test the tension of his bindings, once Roxas had tied the last knot.  The rope was secure, tight enough to press into his skin, and restrict his movements, but not enough to cause discomfort.  His arms were tied across his back, and that was a strange feeling.  
  
Exhilarating, to think that he would be helpless.  That Roxas could do as he liked, and Axel could do little to help or hinder him.  
  
Axel didn’t notice the collar until Roxas was buckling the leather against his throat.  “This was my idea,” Roxas murmured, attaching a lead to it.  His eyes glinted in the low light, his mouth resting in a self-satisfied smile as he tugged it.  “You should see yourself.  You look…”  Instead of elaborating, Roxas led Axel to the mirror.  
  
“Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”  Axel stared at his reflection, at the lines of black criss-crossing his skin.  They were neatly placed, and beautiful.  
  
Roxas shook his head.  “First time.”  And then, softer, “On your knees, Axel,” with another tug on the lead to punctuate the order.  
  
It was, admittedly, harder to balance without the use of his arms, and he teetered forward gracelessly, until Roxas steadied him.  
  
The spark of anticipation that had been there since the afternoon grew into a blaze in a moment, as Axel knelt there, waiting.  Wondering.  
  
Roxas’s hand shifted, from Axel’s shoulder, to his chin, gathering the slack in the leash, and guiding Axel’s face up.  With Axel kneeling, Roxas had to bend to kiss him, and that was what Axel expected when Roxas’s face grew closer.  
  
Except he didn’t.  
  
Roxas stayed just out of reach, teasing, his breath hot against Axel’s face, and Axel made a noise of frustration, tried to close the distance between them.  Roxas’s hand on his chin was firm, stopping him.  
  
Roxas smirked, gazing into Axel’s eyes.  “No.  You have to ask.  Very nicely.”  
  
Axel found, when he opened his mouth, that it was very dry, and that his heart was beating erratically.  He licked his lips before he could say it, but he did.  “Please.  Please, Roxas.  Kiss me.  Touch me.”  
  
Roxas’s thumb stroked his cheek.  “Close your eyes.”


	54. Strays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi this is 1300 words long and I'm too lazy to make a new doc for it, so it's getting tossed on the pile. AkuRoku month continues, tumblr prompt from anon: cat shape-shifter

A month ago, Axel would not have imagined he’d be staring down a scraggly alley cat over scraps of food.  
  
A month ago, Axel had been comfortably installed in a lord’s manor, as a stable hand.  Not the most glamorous of work, but it fed him and put a roof over his head.  Axel should’ve known better than to get comfortable, had been without work before, but it had seemed so promising.  
  
Until the old lord kicked the bucket, and his son sold off all but a handful of horses.  The son was much more economic than his father, and along with the string of horses went the stable hands, except for one man who had been there longer than anyone could remember.  And so Axel found his way back to the city, once again in search of work.  
  
But with winter coming, it was harder to find work, and even harder to find food.  Even a dry place to sleep was scarce, but he’d found one, a narrow alley, clean compared to most, and the cast-offs from the shops on either side.  It was rare to find food in the leavings, let alone anything good, but hunger made even the meanest morsel into a meal.  
  
It was little more than a crust of bread and some salted meat that perhaps wasn’t up to the merchant’s standards, but Axel couldn’t afford to ignore it.  And yet, the little yellow cat was hissing and spitting at him.  As Axel reached for the scraps, it growled and lunged at him.  
  
Axel wasn’t exactly fond of cats to begin with, and he sucked in a breath when its claws swiped his hand.  
  
But he wasn’t mean either.  And a meal to a cat was much smaller than a meal to a person.  He looked over at the cat, still glaring at him with brilliant blue eyes.  
  
“Look, puss.”  He kept his voice low, soothing.  “It’s not a lot, but I’ll give you some.”  
  
The cat eyed him warily, but took a tentative step towards the morsel that Axel held out to it.  Another step, and it stretched its neck out and took the bite from Axel’s fingers, delicately, before dancing away with its prize.  
  
“Yeah.  There you go.”  Axel smiled a little, and nibbled at his own share.  “It’s been a while since I ate with someone.  Too many cutthroats out there, you know?  Can’t trust anyone.”  He nodded.  “But I don’t mind sharing with you.”  
  
The cat cocked its head at him, and let out a plaintive mewl.  
  
Axel chuckled.  “That’s it.  I gotta eat, too, you know?”  The cat stared at him for a minute more, before bounding off.  Axel shook his head.  “Good luck to you, cat.”  He sighed and leaned against the wall, tucking the rest of the scraps into his shirt for later.  
  
The cat was back the next night.  
  
Axel had managed to find some more food that day, and the cat was giving him such a pathetic look that he felt his heart melt a little, and offered it another share of food.  “Look, winter’s going to be rough, buddy.  You should find yourself a nice barn filled with mice before it gets too cold.”  The cat gave a little meow. “You know, that’s my plan, too.  Maybe we could go together.”  
  
The next time Axel saw the cat, he hadn’t eaten for days.  
  
“Sorry, friend, I’ve got nothing.”  The cat disappeared with a flick of its tail.  Axel slumped against the wall, wondering if he would have the energy to scavenge and beg the next day.  Hoping he wouldn’t have to fend anyone off that might want his warm little hidey-hole.  
  
His eyes had slid shut against the night when he was woken by a nudge against his hand.  
  
“Sorry kiddo, I still got nothing,” Axel mumbled, slitting his eyes.  The cat head-butted him again, punctuating it with a loud meow, and Axel glanced down at him.  “Oh!”  He sat up straight, staring at the half-eaten loaf of bread with disbelief.  “Is this for me?”  If it was possible for a cat to roll its eyes, Axel hadn’t known before.  “Shit.  Thanks, puss!”  It wasn’t fresh, by any means, but it was food.  Axel worried at it with his teeth, until he had a mouth full of bread. “You know, we keep meeting, and yet we haven’t been properly introduced.  I’m Axel.”  He held his hand out, and the cat rubbed his face against his fingers.  “Yeah.  Nice to meet you, too.”  
  
When Axel fell asleep that night, the cat curled up next to him.  
  
And in the morning, long after the sun had risen, he woke up to a pair of blue eyes staring at him.  
  
“Axel.”  The voice was young, though hoarse, as if from disuse.  “I came to tell you I’ve found work for you.  But if you’re going to sleep past sunrise,” he said haughtily, “perhaps you don’t deserve it.  
  
Axel stared up at the young man, blinking.  The eyes were familiar, the shade of yellow blond stirring at his memory, but he couldn’t recall anyone with such a sharp gaze.  “I’m sorry?  You are?”  
  
“Roxas.”  He glared down at Axel.  “Not that you ever cared to ask my name.”  
  
Axel collected himself and came to his feet.  “Roxas.”  He rolled the name around in his head, tried to recall the face.  “I apologize.  I didn’t recognize you.”  
  
Roxas pinned him with another hard look, crossing his arms.  He sighed, then, his face softening.  “I guess you wouldn’t.  Well, anyway, come on.”  He stepped towards the mouth of the alley, and turned back, to see Axel’s hesitation.  “Look, there’s an inn that needs a stable hand.  You said you wanted to work in a barn, right?”  
  
Axel followed slowly behind him.  “Hey, I appreciate your help, but I’m sorry, I really don’t know you.”  
  
Roxas paused, turning back again.  Seeing the apprehension on Axel’s face, he huffed a sigh.  “You do.”  He cast about the alley, and, satisfied with what he saw, nodded.  The air around him shimmered, and then Roxas’s form melted away.  
  
Axel gaped at the yellow cat that stood in his place.  Rubbed his eyes, and then turned in a circle, looking for Roxas.  Not wanting to believe what he’d just witnessed, and yet, the derisive blue eyes were an exact match to Roxas’s.  
  
“Tell anyone about me, and I’ll kill you.”  Roxas voice came in a growl a few moments later, spoken with a human mouth.  “Call me ‘puss’ again, and I’ll kill you.”  
  
Axel held his hands out, supplicating.  “No need!  No need!”  
  
Roxas smirked.  “Good.  Now that that’s settled, let’s go.”  
  
Axel followed him, his mind reeling.  “So.  Uh.  Okay, you’re a.  Uh.  Well.”  He gathered his thoughts, and finally blurted, “Why are you helping me?”  
  
Roxas glanced back at him.  “You helped me.”  And then, turning his attention back to picking a path along the cobbled streets, he muttered, “And you said we could go together.”  
  
“Oh.”  This, of all the things he’d encountered that morning, made the most sense to Axel.  “Yeah.  I did.”  
  
“Well then.  Here it is.”  Roxas stopped at the entrance of an inn, a castle-shaped sign hanging above.  
  
When the first snow hit the city, Axel was curled up in a tiny closet of a room that led off of the stables, tucked into bed.  It was warm, and dry, and he had eaten dinner earlier that evening, feeding scraps to the little yellow cat that called the place home, as well.  The cat snuggled close to him, settling his head against Axel’s chest.  
  
Except, Roxas wasn’t always a cat.  
  
And some nights, the winter was blazing hot in Axel’s room, their bodies burning as they met, mouths branding bare skin with kisses.  Roxas, even in his human form, left scratch marks on Axel.  
  
But those ones, Axel found, he didn’t mind.


	55. first impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AkuRoku month lives on still! tumblr prompt from lunaticberserker, "executive"

Roxas woke in a tangle of limbs, the alarm of his phone sounding shrilly from somewhere on the floor.  He was comfortable and warm, and the thought of having to emerge from his cocoon made him snuggle deeper into the covers.  
  
Except his alarm continued.  
  
The man next to him was already stirring, a groan sounding in his throat, groping for the source of the noise, even if it wasn’t his alarm.  With a reluctant sigh, Roxas extracted himself from the bed to fumble through the clothes on the floor.  He swiped to dismiss the alarm, and stared at the phone, his brain still sluggish as he tried to remember what he’d set the alarm for.  
  
“Time issit?”  The voice was slurred, and when Roxas turned back, the man was propped up on an elbow, vivid green eyes blinking against the light spilling through the windows, crimson hair highlighted by it.  Roxas felt a sudden twinge of guilt—he couldn’t remember the man’s name, though he was sure they’d exchanged names at some point.  He’d been drinking, but more likely the memory lapse was due to the night before.  
  
Just the thought of it made his breath catch.  
  
“Six.”  He remembered, then.  Not the man’s name, but the reason he had set the alarm.  “I have to go.”  He bent to the task of collecting his clothes, his back protesting the movement.  It was a good kind of pain, though.  “I have somewhere to be.”  
  
The man watched him impassively.  Roxas wondered if he was thinking of something to say, to suggest a second meeting, or if he even cared.  Roxas knew better than to expect anything, and didn’t attempt to make conversation.  It would only serve to make things awkward, in his experience.  
  
“Hey.”  Roxas looked up from buttoning his shirt, startled by the man’s voice.  “How about one more kiss?  For the road.”  There was a crooked smile on his lips, and Roxas thought it couldn’t hurt to oblige him—wanted to, in fact, and wanted more than that.  But to ask for more was to ask for complications Roxas wasn’t quite as sure he wanted.  
  
But a kiss he could do, and once he’d finished with his shirt, Roxas turned back to the bed and bent to meet the man’s lips.  He tasted of morning breath, but Roxas found that he didn’t mind, especially when long fingers were threading through his hair, cupping the back of his head to deepen the kiss, and Roxas felt his heart quickening.  
  
It took a great effort to pull away, and Roxas had to school his breathing before he could repeat himself.  “I have to go.  I’ll let myself out.”  The man flapped his hand towards the doorway, watching Roxas leave.  
  
Roxas hurried to his apartment for a quick shower and fresh clothes, watching the clock as he went—the reason for his alarm, he’d remembered, was an early morning orientation at his new job. It was also the reason he’d gone out the night before—for luck, for celebration, for a last gasp before he became a corporate slave.  
  
The building that housed the company was steel and glass, full of suits coming and going, the sound of boot heels and pumps clicking against the marble floors.  His stomach bubbled with nerves, but he swallowed them down as he went through the security checkpoint, and boarded the elevator.  
  
The executive branch, where he would be working, was situated on the eighth floor, with a small, dark-haired girl at a reception desk.  She smiled when he came through the doors, and Roxas was surprised by how genuine it was.  “Hi, can I help you?”  
  
“I’m Roxas Strife.  I’m supposed to be starting today.”  He quelled another wave of nerves, and tried to hold his hands still at his sides, rather than fidget or shove them in his pockets, as he wanted to.  He’d landed the job, but that was only the first step.  He would have to keep it, and he’d spent enough time working other jobs to know how hard that could be.  
  
The girl—her name tag read Xion—nodded to the chairs ranged across from the desk.  “Have a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here!”  
  
It was even harder to keep his hands still when he was seated, so Roxas smoothed invisible wrinkles in his blazer while he waited. He was pulling a stray thread from his pants when the voice greeted him.  
  
“Roxas Strife?”  The voice was familiar, but it was when he raised his eyes that Roxas froze, his stomach dropping.  Green eyes, behind a pair of designer glasses.  Scarlet hair, pulled into a neat bun.  There had been tattoos there on his face only hours ago, Roxas thought absently, and even with them hidden with cover-up, his face was one to be remembered.  If not his name.  
  
“Yeah.  That’s me.”  Well, if that wasn’t awkward, Roxas wasn’t sure what was.  Still, he came to his feet, watching the other for clues, for how it would play out.  
  
“Axel Cendres.”  Axel offered his hand to shake, as if they were meeting for the first time.  This time, Roxas made sure to commit the name to memory.  “Welcome.  I’ll be training you over the course of the week.”  
  
Roxas shook his hand, his skin tingling at the touch—or rather, of the memory of earlier touches.  “Nice to meet you.”  Their hands were joined perhaps a little longer than necessary, and then Axel was turning and guiding him through the glass doors to the office proper.  
  
“How was your morning?”  Axel was looking over his shoulder at Roxas, and though his tone was neutral, the look in his eye said something else.  It was tentative, uncertain, but also hungry.  
  
Roxas thought about it.  Honesty, he’d found, had always worked, and he let a little smile curl his lips.  “Well, I could’ve stayed in bed a little longer.”  He let the statement hang in the air.  No promises, but the suggestion was there.  
  
Axel broke into a grin.  “Yeah.  I know the feeling.”


	56. under cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a LeaKu for the13thdilemma, for buying me a coffee! Thank you, dear! <3

He should've known.

The sky had been grey all day, and by the time he was heading home, the clouds had grown downright ominous. He'd seen the forecast for rain, but had decided to gamble that it would hold off on raining until he was comfortably in his pajamas, curled up on the couch.

Of course it didn't.

There was only a moment's warning, a handful of sparse sprinkles, before the rain fell in a deluge, and as fast as he reacted to put himself under the shelter of an overhang, it still wasn't fast enough. Lea bit out a curse, his clothing soaked through in just a half minute, the glue holding his hair in place breaking down and sticking to his skin, the cover above him was doing little against the rain that slanted with each fresh gust of wind.

He glanced at the storefront responsible for the shoddy cover: a Cosi. Through the window, he could see a fire burning merrily, beckoning him inside. He sighed and pushed his hair back, and went in, wondering how long it would be before the staff kicked him out for loitering. He made a show of examining the menu to make it longer.

"Can I help you?"

Lea dismissed the counter person with a shake of his head. "Still deciding." He pulled at his shirt, feeling nearly suffocated now that he was inside, the air close and damp. If he was lucky, the rain would let up soon, and he could walk the rest of the way home. A glance outside made that seem unlikely, though, the rain still coming down in sheets.

Lea kept his eyes resolutely on the menu—it wasn't even for show anymore (nearly four dollars for a small tea? What?)—for several minutes, before he was finally interrupted again. Rather than a "have you decided yet?" there was a quiet, but obvious, sigh as the counter person came around with a wet floor sign. The door behind him emitted a bell noise as another person entered the café. And then, "Excuse me, sir," firm, in that passive-aggressive tone that customer service workers were so good at. "Are you going to order?" The girl glanced from him to the person behind him.

Lea gave a half-smile. "Well…" He fished in his pockets, knowing well that hadn't brought any money with.

"What did you want?" The voice behind him sounded nice, and he turned to see its owner. "I'll buy." He was…Lea tried not to stare, but he looked _good_ , his eyes a brilliant aqua, and his hair silver. And his face was flushed, his lip bitten. "You're Lea, right? From American Lit?"

Oh. _Oh_. He'd noticed the guy in his class before, but Lea was so used to him having his head down, covered by a beanie, that he almost didn't recognize him. "Yeah…what's your name again?"

"Riku." There was that flush again. "I've been…wanting to, anyway. Buy you a drink sometime." He turned his eyes to the ground.

Lea smiled. "Okay."


	57. Permanent Ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akuroku tattoo fic, for princess-wasabi, who is designing a tattoo for me! <33

“You’re sure about this.”  Blue eyes were studying Axel’s face, a light touch on his chin turning his head from one side to the other.  A thumb came up and brushed one of his cheekbones.  
  
Axel pushed the hand away.  “Yeah, I’m sure.”  
  
Blue eyes frowned.  “As a rule, we don’t do facial tattoos to first-timers—”  
  
“And I told you, I already have some tattoos.”  Axel pushed up a sleeve to display the edge of a tribal tattoo that disappeared under the fabric.  “Look, man—”  
  
“Roxas.”  
  
“Roxas.  Right.  If you don’t want to do it, fine.  I’ll just wait ‘til Xigbar gets back and have him do it.”  
  
Roxas crossed his arms.  “No, I’ll do it.”  
  
Axel straightened.  “Good.  Now, right?”  
  
Roxas rolled his eyes.  “Yes, now.  I told you, I don’t have any appointments for a couple hours.”  He tilted his head, indicating for Axel to follow him to one of the smaller rooms past the counter.  
  
Axel draped himself over one of the chairs and watched as Roxas began pulling out his equipment.  Inks, needles—it got familiar after the first few tattoos, but Roxas went about it stiffly, jerking drawers open.  
  
Axel folded his hand behind his head as he waited.  “So how long have you been working at Xigbar’s shop?  I know I’ve been out of town for a while, but I know you weren’t here before I left.”  
  
Roxas shrugged.  “A couple months.”  He fixed his blue eyes on Axel again.  “You know, you can’t talk while I’m doing this.  I don’t want my needle skittering off into your eye.”  
  
He said it so deadpan that Axel had to laugh.  “Yeah, alright Blondie.  Shut my big hole, you got it.”  
  
Roxas frowned as he put a hand on Axel’s jaw, holding his face steady as he marked out guidelines for the tattoos.  “Don’t call me that.”  
  
Axel snorted.  “Knowing Xigbar, he probably calls you that.  Or has he given you a real cute pet name?”  
  
Roxas’s fingers twitched against Axel’s jaw.  “I said don’t talk.  Xigbar knows I hate nick-names.”  
  
“Oh-ho, it’s like that, is it?”  Axel waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Roxas’s hands dropped away as he stepped back.  
  
“If you’re going to sit here and harass me, you can leave.”  His blue eyes had turned icy.  
  
Axel felt his lips tug up in a crooked smile.  “All right, all right.  I’m done.”  He pantomimed zipping his lips shut, and for good measure, locking it and throwing away the key.  Roxas gave him a wary look, but finished the guide marks.  
  
Roxas handed Axel a mirror.  “How’s the placement?”  
  
Axel studied his reflection, touching the edges of the temporary tear marks that Roxas had traced out on his cheeks.  They added something to his appearance, though he couldn’t quite put his finger what it was, but it felt…complete, to have them there. He nodded slowly.  “Yeah, that’s perfect.”  
  
Roxas took the mirror back and set it aside.  “I’ll only tell you one more time before I start:  you talk, I fuck up.  And you still have to pay.  Got it?”  
  
Axel raised three fingers up in a salute.  “Scout’s honor!”  
  
Roxas rolled his eyes, but seemed to accept that.  He pulled the room’s other chair close to Axel, giving him instructions until he was satisfied with the position, and then he began.  
  
Axel couldn’t help a wince at the first touch of the needle, but he quickly found that it was easier to watch Roxas work than to think about any pain.  His gloved hands were steady, one guiding the needle, the other braced gently on Axel’s cheek with a cloth, wiping away any blood that welled up.  His face was close, and Axel studied those blue eyes, and Roxas’s golden eyebrows, drawn together in concentration.  
  
They were small tattoos, so it didn’t take long before Roxas moved to the other side, but Axel was pretty sure that it normally took longer to fall in love with someone.  Still, by the time Roxas was pulling his needle away from the second mark, Axel was already mentally rehearsing ways to ask him out.  The furrowed brow was adorable, and the attitude—oh, he would have fun with that.  
  
The mirror again.  “How’s that?”  
  
Axel probably should’ve cared more about the permanent ink on his face, but, he barely spared it a glance, his attention drawn to Roxas. “Yes, that’s it.”  
  
“Okay. You know how to take care of these?”  Roxas gestured at the fresh tattoos, and Axel nodded.  
  
“You know,” Axel began, “I’d like to see your portfolio.  Maybe you could do something a little more complex for me next time.”  
  
Roxas raised his eyebrows.  “It’s in the lobby.  My style’s different from Xigbar’s.”  
  
Axel pursed his lips.  “I have a better idea, if you’re interested.  Maybe…you could show me over coffee?  Or something.”  
  
Roxas gave him a flat look.  “You can look at it in the lobby.”  
  
Axel sighed and looked at the floor.  “Yeah.  Yeah, that’s fine.”  He glanced back up.  “How much do I owe you?”  
  
After Axel paid, he sat down and paged through the book that Roxas gave him, while Roxas did busywork—it had to be busywork, because he was pretty sure Xigbar hadn’t cleaned the top of that counter off in half a decade.  
  
He was halfway through his silent appraisal of Roxas’s work, fingers reverently tracing the lines of a design, when Roxas finally broke the silence between them.  
  
“Fine.”  
  
“Fine?”  
  
“Yeah.  Fine.”  He gestured at the book.  “That’s the store book.  I’ve got another.  I’ll bring it.  Tomorrow.  For coffee.”  
  
Axel broke into a grin, and felt the warmth of his tattoos on his cheeks with the movement.  “Yes!”


	58. Costume Not Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween prompt from tumblr: LeaKu

“You realize this is a costume party we’re going to, right?”  Riku looked pointedly at Lea’s shirt: plain black except for ‘error 404 costume not found’ emblazoned across his chest in white.  
  
Lea stepped into Riku’s space and grabbed him in a one-armed hug.  “What are you trying to say, babe?”  
  
“That that’s not a costume,” Riku deadpanned.  
  
Lea spread a hand over his chest.  “Of course it is!  It even fits perfectly with the theme!”  
  
Riku narrowed his eyes.  “ _That_ is not a costume.  _This_ ,” he gestured down at his Tron get-up, complete with a working, luminescent design, “is a costume.”  
  
“Well,” Lea drawled, “It’s a computer error.  You know, for the computer theme.  So, it returned an error when I was looking for a costume.”  
  
Riku rolled his eyes.  “I _understand_ the concept.  You just couldn’t find a costume.”  
  
Lea stuck out his tongue.  “You’re just jealous that mine didn’t take a full month to make.”  
  
Riku huffed a sigh.  
  
“Also, it glows in the dark.  Without using a bunch of fancy wiring to light up like yours does.”  Lea’s lips stretched into a gloating grin.  
  
Riku shook his head.  “Fine.  Whatever.  Let’s go.”  
  
Lea grinned and bent to kiss him.  “I love you~”  
  
“Yeah, yeah.”


	59. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween Trick or Treat: Trick. Angst Ahoy! Warnings for blood/gore, etc.

“Sora…”  
  
The voice sounded far away, echoing, and Sora turned, searching for the voice.  
  
“Sora!”  
  
The second voice was closer, sharp and alarmed.  A girl’s voice, close to Kairi’s, but not quite.  Sora whirled.  
  
No matter how many times he turned, no matter how many voices he heard, he couldn’t see anyone.  Disembodied, the voices buffeted him like a gust of wind, and then everything went dark.  The ground beneath him disappeared, and he was falling, falling.  
  
He didn’t land on his feet, like he did in Deep Dive.  Instead, he came down on his side, hard, pain blossoming and radiating outward. He was quick to find his feet, reflexes quick after years of wielding the keyblade. He put his hand out to summon it, eyes probing the darkness.  The keyblade, when it appeared, glowed, the light growing until he could make out a little of his surroundings.  The ground below him was loose dirt, and all sides around him were open.  There was a low roar in the distance, and a cold wind tore at his clothes.  Sora took a deep breath, and then a step forward, his posture ready.  
  
As he moved forward, the light grew.  He wasn’t sure where he was, but he was certain at least that it wasn’t the realm of darkness.  
  
“Sora…”  This time, when Sora turned to find the voice’s owner, his eyes landed on a person.  
  
It was Lea, unmistakable with his height and red hair.  
  
No.  
  
It was Axel, the marks stark on his cheeks.  “Remember me?”  His lips were stretched, cracked and bleeding, in a mockery of a smile.  He wore an Organization coat, half-unzipped, so his chest was bare, and Sora could see the gaping hole where his heart should’ve been, and around it, the skin blackened and flaking, or red, oozing fluids.  His whole body smoked, black curling up, noxious, from his skin.  
  
Sora choked, backing away.  “No…you’re gone!  Lea got his heart back!”  
  
“Did he?”  Sora whirled to see Ansem—Riku?  He couldn’t be sure.  He’d thought Riku was back to normal, but then, Lea was Axel again, so…so then—  “He must’ve lost it again, then, huh.”  
  
“You let us down, Sora.”  
  
“Kairi!”  Her eyes were vacant, like they had been before, when her heart had fled to his.  Sora pressed a hand to his chest, searching for her familiar presence.  
  
“It’s gone,” and Kairi’s voice was just as empty as her eyes.  On second glance, Sora could see the red ruin of her chest.  
  
“Wait—Kairi—no, we’ll get it back, there has to be a way!”  Sora reached for her, but more voices were pressing in from each side, more familiar faces, more gaping chests.  It was becoming hard to breathe, and he pushed forward, through them, panic rising with the bile at the back of his throat.  
  
It only took a few steps to break free, and space opened up before him.  By now, it was light enough to clearly make out his surroundings: a barren land with cliffs in the distance and behind him.  And in front of him, as far as the eye could see, flat, tawny dirt, but more importantly—  
  
The keyblades.  Thrust into the ground blade-first, they jutted up like lifeless skeletal fingers, reaching for the sky.  
  
There was someone standing just beyond the first lines of keyblades, their back to Sora.  They looked…more alive than the people at Sora’s back.  He took a few more steps forward, and the person turned.  
  
It was a mirror of himself, the same hair, the same face, though his hair was darker, his eyes a golden yellow.  
  
A taunting voice spilled from his doppelganger: “Wake up, _Ventus_!”


	60. Haunted House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SoRiku Halloween prompt: What did I just touch?
> 
> Warnings for gross things, fake flesh, etc.

It was Sora’s idea to go to the haunted house.  Riku didn't scare easily, but Sora had his moments, and if they went with a group of friends, it would be a treat, because Selphie held a record or something for jumping the highest from being startled, and Tidus had surprised them all once or twice with high-pitched squeals.  Kairi would put on a brave face, but cling to Sora, and Wakka…well, Wakka was Wakka.  Riku agreed to the haunted house, on the condition that their friends came along, too.  He left the job of convincing everyone to Sora, because after all, Sora was good at that.  
  
“Guys, last year this place was voted number one scariest in the country,” Selphie hugged herself, eying the actors warily. Even in line—it was a LONG line--they'd set out to spook visitors, sneaking up behind people to scare them with manic laughter or animalistic snarls.  It was easy enough to get startled, with anticipation running through them like electricity, and it made the wait fun, made it go just a little bit faster.  Still, it was nearly half an hour before they made it into the place.  
  
If anything, the wait had made them all more jumpy, perfectly primed for the experience.  
  
For Riku, it was amusing, watching his friends jump and yell in response to the flashing lights, the gruesome backdrops, and towering actors on stilts, looming over them.  Sora, grabbing his arm from time to time, was a plus, and he knew he was smiling, even as Sora clutched him tighter.  
  
That is, until they entered a section that was pitch dark.  Riku’s eyes widened, trying to adjust to the darkness, searching for any kind of light, without success.  
  
“I can’t see a thing!”  Tidus’s voice came out in a whine.  “Is there anything up there, Riku?”  
  
Riku put a hand out, stepping forward slowly.  Empty air in front of him, so he kept going, sweeping his arms to the side, searching for a wall, or anything to anchor himself.  “Not yet.”  Another step, and his hand found a wall.  
  
But he yanked his hand back the second he registered the surface, making a choking sound.  
  
“What did I just touch?”  
  
Sora pressed closer from behind him.  “What is it?”  
  
Riku glared in the direction of his voice.  “If I knew, I wouldn’t ask.  Here,” he groped for Sora’s arm, and guided him to touch the wall.  
  
Sora pulled back as quickly as Riku had.  “Ahh, gross!”  
  
It was cold and slimy, but spongy.  Riku rubbed his fingers together, trying to get rid of the sensation there; it still felt wet.  Just as he was about to move away from the wall, a strobe light flickered to life overhead.  
  
On either side of them, the walls had been made to look like raw flesh, complete with blinking eyes and pulsing veins.  
  
As a group, they jumped.  Selphie wailed “Let’s get out of here!” and Wakka was already hurriedly pushing his way past Sora and Riku, looking pale.  Riku shuddered, and nodded, and they all followed Wakka’s lead, shuffling through a corridor that got narrower and narrower as they went, until they reached an opening, and pushed through into an open courtyard.  
  
Riku let out a nervous laugh and wiped his hands on his pants. “That was…disgusting.”


	61. Invite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SoRiku Halloween prompt: "i’m sick on halloween but told you to go have fun at the party anyway but instead you surprised me with a blanket fort, tons of candy and all my favourite scary movies"

Aside from the being sick part, Riku didn’t mind that he was stuck in bed and unable to go to the Halloween party.  Well, that and the fact that Sora would be at the party without him—Riku had insisted he go, because he knew how much Sora enjoyed those kind of things.  Riku, on the other hand, found parties exhausting, more than anything.  Sure, it was nice to hang out with their friends, but he usually preferred smaller gatherings.  
  
So he was curled up on the couch with a blanket, watching a Halloween movie marathon by himself, when there was a noise at the door.  
  
Maybe with the atmosphere of a darkened living room and scary movies playing, he might’ve been a little anxious hearing the scratch-scratch at the door.  Instead, he was in a fog from being sick, and couldn’t bring himself to do more than look at the door in curiosity.  There was another noise, a pause, and then the sound of metal on metal, followed by the turn of the lock.  
  
“Mwuahaha!”  Sora peered from behind the door with a leer, his face made up to look ashen, eyes darkened and a line of fake blood at the corner of his mouth.  “I’ve come to suck your blood!”  He flexed clawed fingers at the threshold, grinning.  “But first you have to invite me in!”  
  
Riku rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.  “You live here, you idiot, you don’t need to be invited.”  
  
“Oh, right!”  Without further prompting, Sora pushed past the door, a full plastic bag in one hand.  “Then you better be ready!”  
  
Riku pulled his blanket up to his chin, giving Sora an appraising look.  He was in his vampire costume, but not at the party.  “I thought you were going to go to the party.”  
  
Sora came over to the couch and waited for Riku to pull his legs in before plopping down, dropping his bag on the floor.  “Well, I did, for a little bit.  But I couldn’t stop thinking about you here, all alone.”  Sora shifted, carefully climbing on top of Riku.  “My favorite meal,” he breathed against Riku’s ear, before pressing his lips to Riku’s neck.  
  
Riku sucked in a breath when Sora’s prosthetic fangs pressed against his skin.  He pushed at Sora’s chest feebly.  “You’re going to get sick, too.”  
  
Sora backed off with a huff.  “Vampire’s can’t get sick, Riku.”  He rocked back on his heels and retrieved his bag.  “More importantly, I brought candy for us!  And,” he reached in the bag, groping until he pulled out _Beetlejuice_ , “Your favorite movies!”  
  
“Sora…”  Riku was pleased, but— “I’m sick.  I’m no fun.  Go back to Selphie’s party.”  
  
Sora pursed his lips.  “Nonsense.  You’re plenty fun.  Oh, wait, wait, I have an idea!”  He sprang to his feet and Riku watched him disappear into the bedroom, only to return with an armful of pillows and blankets.  “Get up, Riku!  I need the couch!”  
  
“What are you—?”  
  
Sora dropped his burden and put out a hand to help Riku up.  “Just be patient, okay?”  Sora started singing as he pulled the cushions from the couch and propped them on their ends, and pushing pillows into strategic nooks.  “They did the Monster Mash!”  Sora grinned over at Riku.  “It was a graveyard smash!”  He suspended a sheet over the couch cushions, and after a few more adjustments, he stepped back.  “It’s been a while since I made one, so I hope it’s structurally sound!”  He grinned and pulled Riku by the waist, gently urging him under the canopy.  
  
Riku dropped to the ground and crawled into the space Sora had made.  “It’s cozy,” he admitted, curling up in the nest of pillows and blankets against the couch.  
  
Sora popped in the DVD and pushed his bag of candy into the fort before him.  He snuggled close to Riku.  “Good!”  He unwrapped a mini Hershey bar and offered it to Riku.  “I want this to be your best Halloween ever!”  He beamed.  
  
Riku bit into the chocolate with a smile.  “Do you think you’ll be able to top it next year?”  
  
Sora paused with a Swedish Fish halfway to his mouth. “I guess I’ll have to work extra hard, huh?”


	62. scavenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Axel-centric

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> from the prompt "scavenger" though I can't recall who gave it to me

Axel pressed against the alley wall, wrinkling his nose against a putrid smell and trying to ignore the grime, and a spot of tackiness just under his palm. A pile of trash blocked his view from the street—and, hopefully, hid him from passerby as effectively—but he could hear the heavy thuds of booted feet passing by. A set paused at the mouth of the alley, and he held his breath, shrinking closer to the wall. He quelled the urge to adjust his scarf. He'd secured it before heading out for the night, obscuring his vibrant hair, and if it had come loose, now wasn't the time to fix it. After, once he'd made it out—

The footsteps resumed, receding from the alley, and Axel let his breath out in a slow, measured exhale. He waited, counting to thirty, just to be sure, before slinking around the trash and peering past the edge of the building. The sentries were moving on, their backs to him, but he kept close to the blackened brick, darting between pools of shadows, as he made his way in the opposite direction. A glance, every so often, to check that they hadn't turned back, and that there weren't more in the area.

His target came into view a few blocks later: a warehouse hulking on the banks of the river, its windows darkened for the night. Still, street lamps cast pools of yellow light at regular intervals, and another patrol would be by before too long. He knew a place where there was a gap in the fence, though, and if he made it through it and behind the corner before the patrol, he would buy himself another half an hour.

It had been a lean fall, and work had been getting harder and harder to find. Prospective employers were tightening their belts for the winter, and so Axel had turned to scavenging, taking the leavings of others and turning around to sell them to those even worse off.

Problem was, the factories had been tightening things up, too. Scraps that were once designated for the trash heaps were being put to other uses.

Axel ducked behind the corner of the building and let his shoulders relax a fraction. It was darker, on this side. Better for cover, at least. The trash heap was there, smaller than it had been a week ago, and Axel frowned as he scanned it for anything useful. He pulled his scarf over his face before setting to the task of rummaging around. Even with the lingering scent of the vinegar he'd soaked it in, the smell of rubbish set his teeth on edge.

A sound to one side made him freeze in place, his eyes searching the shadows for its source.

There was another sound, something metal clattering against flagstones, and a muffled curse. Axel narrowed his eyes at a small figure huddled a few feet away, crouched in front of the nearest door. The person was preoccupied, retrieving whatever they'd dropped, and hadn't noticed Axel.

Axel crept forward, studying what he could see of them in the dark. They didn't have the stature and poise of a sentry. Perhaps a supervisor for the warehouse? But they'd come around the back, rather than using the well-lit front entrance.

There was another curse from the other person, and then grubby hands came into view, fiddling with the lock.

Ah.

"Oi." Axel's voice was just loud enough to travel to the other's ears. "What're you at, there?"

They jumped, turning, and Axel had a moment of thinking that such an angry expression didn't belong in such a young face. "What's it to ya?"

"I was here first. This place is mine."

The kid scoffed. "Yeah? Then why ain't ya inside?"

Axel climbed the rest of the way off the trash pile to tower over the boy's personal space. He pulled his scarf from his face. "Because, I _ain_ _'t_ looking to get caught."

The kid shrugged. "Then don't. But ya know, the good stuff's inside."

"That would make you a thief."

The kid crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow at Axel. "Because y'ain't a thief? What're ya, then, a trash collector?"

"A _scavenger_ , and I'd _like_ to be able to come back. Burglaries mean higher security, means less _trash_ to collect."

The kid rolled his shoulder in a shrug. "I ain't gonna live off trash, ya hear?" He turned back to the lock.

Axel sighed. "Look. Kid. What's your name?"

The kid gave him a sidelong glance, before setting a pick to the lock.

"Fine. I'll tell you mine. Axel. Look, I'll help you out, if you don't break in. I can survive the whole winter on this place alone, but if you want a place to loot, I know just the place—" Axel closed a hand around the kid's wrist.

Later, Axel would blame the fact that the kid looked too young and innocent to have much fight in him, but he knew better. It was the cherubs that ruled the streets, after all, pretty grubby faces getting them out tight spots, fooling their marks as much as Axel had been fooled. It was a quick movement, skinny wrist twisting in his grip and a flash of metal as a knife was leveled at him.

Icy blue eyes stared up the blade to meet Axel's. "Right. Axel. How 'bout ya take yer trash and go?"

Axel studied him a moment, before backing off with a nod. "Alright." He could easily overcome the kid, probably, but he hadn't come prepared to fight a street rat. Instead, he slunk into the shadows, out of sight, and watched.

The kid darted into the building, soundless except for a light scrape of hinges. A patrol passed the warehouse. A bell chimed the hour—still the small hours of the morning—before he reemerged, the bag at his side fuller than when he had entered, and the kid made his way for the gap in the fence. From his vantage point, Axel saw the next patrol heading that direction. He glanced back at the kid. He was too relaxed, he couldn't know that the patrol would be nearly on top of him when he reached the fence—

It was that cherub's face, Axel would again say, that made him act so rashly. It would become a common excuse. He hurriedly rearranged his clothing, yanking down his scarf, to look less like a criminal and more like someone who'd fallen on hard times. He glanced between the patrol, and the kid, coming through the fence, gauging the timing.

"Cousin, there you are!" Axel strolled into the street, fixing his gaze on the kid, as if he hadn't just come from burglarizing the warehouse. It succeeded in pulling the sentries' attention to him, rather than the _clink_ of the fence. "Your mother was worried sick, and sent me out to find you!" Axel glanced at the sentries. "Excuse me, sirs!" Axel grabbed the kid, pulling him to his side. "How lucky you're here! I'm afraid I've gotten all turned around looking for my cousin, here. Could you tell me which way it is to Thirteenth Street?"

"I outta knife ya for that," the kid hissed, once the patrol was out of sight. He pulled out of Axel's grip.

Axel gave him a lopsided grin. "Sure. Next time I'll just watch them arrest you."

Axel received a surly look in reply. And then: "Roxas. My name." Roxas looked him up and down. "Since ya wanted to know so bad."

Axel raised his eyebrows. "Roxas." He grinned. "Well, I take it you aren't going to knife me."

Roxas's expression softened for the first time since their first encounter earlier that night, lips turning up into something like a smile. "Nah. Not this time."


End file.
